Hell-bent
by Kagato Akara
Summary: The chronicles of two of the greatest villians of all time in this Rurouni Kenshin/Tenchi Muyo OVA crossover.


"Hell-bent"   
A Rurouni Kenshin/Tenchi Muyo crossover  
Produced by Emerald Dream Studios  
Directed by Kagato Akara  
  
Original Sin: The Meeting under a Rain of Blood  
  
{**********}  
  
Foreword: You know, I always enjoy interesting new concepts. Charting the waters of the unknown happens to be very compelling in my mind. And what can be more uncertain in the world than the true final frontier, death?   
  
After seeing the intricately crafted and well-thought out ending to the second half of the Rurouni Kenshin series, my mind gave birth to an idea for an excellent crossover fanfiction. After the death of Makoto Shishio at the end of the Kyoto arc, he was not to be left alone. Most writers would leave their characters dead and gone, but instead the artists of Kenshin decided to tie some ends up by showing Shishio in Hell, preparing to conquer it.   
  
I found that concept thought provoking and very original. And I wanted to expand upon the idea, since the writers just left it at that. So I decided to write a story based upon that premise, but I wanted to add some spice to it. And what better way than mixing it up with an anime considered by many to be equal to the incredible Rurouni Kenshin series. Plus I wanted to see if it could be done, and in a proper manner.   
  
Most crossover fics are poorly done, with some exceptions (such as Blood Red Moon by Platinum Dragon). And honestly, I'm sick of all the DBZ/Sailor Moon/Tenchi crossovers written by Toonami fans. The influx of actual well-written crossover fanfictions has stopped in the recent months, and I feel the need to change that. So, I hope that I can manage to create an enjoyable experience for all the readers and true writers of fanfiction.   
  
One final thing before we move on, during the beginning of each chapter there will be a small paragraph featuring a 'words of wisdom' type section. However, these paragraphs will center upon fundamentals and philosophy regarding swordsmanship. I myself have studied swordplay for most of my life, even growing to such a skill as developing my own personal style of fighting. So therefore I would like to impart the information gained during my life to others who find interest within swords.  
  
Also, I would like to dedicate this piece of literature to all of the people who thought that the anime Rurouni Kenshin should have been called Rurouni Shishio. If it wasn't for those damned Meiji Imperialists! Oh well, I truly hope you enjoy this unique experience. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me babble.   
  
{**********}  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from the two animes used within this piece of literature, Rurouni Kenshin and Tenchi Muyo. The characters from Kenshin belong to Anime Works and the original creator Nobuhiro Watsuki. And I'm sure you all know that the lone character and all the others mentioned from Tenchi Muyo belong to AIC/Pioneer and the original creator Masaki Kajishima. And I definitely don't own, and wouldn't want to, Enma, who is the Shinto religion's mythological ruler of Hell. However, I do claim rights to all of the original characters presented within, namely Rei Karai, Fenrir Amino, and Kusanagi Akari. With all of that said, please don't sue me! ^_^0 Thank you.  
  
{**********}  
  
I believe it was Bruce Lee who once said that, "The best style is no style at all." In that aspect, he was correct. In spite of all of the many differing forms of swordsmanship (Kendo, fencing, etc.) it is best to emulate none of them. True that in the beginning they start you out down the path of being a true swordsman, but in the end they become useless. All these styles are merely practiced repetitive forms, and find no true bearing in real combat.   
  
If you are blindly rushed by an attacker, you do not counter it with a practiced pattern of movement. You rely on instinct instead, the instinct of a human being. Swordsmanship is about violence, but at the same time, it is also an art of self-expression, much like martial arts.   
  
In order to become a master swordsman, you must lose all thought of the styles involved within combat, and act upon your own instincts. You have to flow with an attack one-minute and then counter it mercilessly the next. Just be yourself, have your own personal way of fighting. If you do that, then you will have no weaknesses.   
  
~Kagato Akara~  
  
{**********}  
  
Makoto Shishio was a patient man, a virtue that proved to be useful in certain situations. This just happened to be one of those times. In fact, patience was a virtue for anyone who is consigned to eternity in Hell. But that just goes without saying.   
  
The former shadow hitokiri stood amongst a pile of charred and broken bones, upon a hill of them, and gazed outward towards his current goal. A vicious grin was set upon his disfigured lips, and his eyes were a deep crimson, the color of rich blood. Before him stood the mighty fortress of Darnas Irio, a demonic bastion that guarded the gates into the second 'level' of Hell. To be able to progress, that fortress must fall.  
  
That was exactly what was happening before his eyes, albeit slowly. One thing can be said, lost souls flock to those who are strong. And since Shishio is one of the strongest of all, nearly a whole army of them has gathered under him. This was indeed a good thing, since conquest cannot be achieved without the use of minions. And his warriors were proving exactly that fact while they laid siege to the great bastion.   
  
Even as he watched from a distance he knew that it would not be long before those enclosed within would have no choice but to charge into battle. That's the point of a siege, hold someone enclosed in a confined space for a long enough time and they either die or blindly rush into battle, like a cornered mouse attacking a cat. Although, the siege had not been long, if time could even be counted here, Shishio knew of the arrogance of the demon race, that they thought themselves superior.   
  
He knew that they would not stay in their safe-haven for long; they would ride through the gates and into battle, foreseeing victory. Foolishness, pride would be their undoing. But they wouldn't have the chance for such glorious efforts, he would be there. The second they left the fortress is when the demons would feel the full force of his might. He would teach them the Law of Nature.  
  
And either way, he had a second strategy ingrained within his plan. Arrogance of the demon race or not, they were going to be coming out, drawn out in fact. To lull the enemy into a false sense of security was a grand strategy used throughout the ages. Although often deployed by brilliant strategists, most demons are rather stupid. But one thing was sure, Shishio couldn't take the credit for the second part of the plan.   
  
He had to give it to Houji, his mind was gifted with an uncanny brilliance. Houji's plan was actually rather simplistic, but simplicity is often the grandest of means to accomplish a task. Shishio's forces were going to divide, and the first half was going to stage a retreat. Merely a falsehood however, once the demons were lured out into the open the forces would once again converge, with their enemy in the middle.  
  
As he watched, he could only admire the power of his army. He remembered an old saying, there is strength in numbers. That has never been proven true more than now. Although generally weak on their own, he had learned that when the element of weakness is combined with others who are stronger then they feed off of each other, eliminating the weakness. However there are still those who are too weak to conform, and they become seeded out.  
  
While mortal souls cannot die in this realm, they can be 'absorbed.' Souls can be stolen by demons through the act of decapitation, which nullifies the resistance to such processes. The stealing of souls is a rather common practice among the demon race, and those souls are generally sent to a 'prison' of sorts or kept as personal pets for the act of amusement or torture.   
  
Shishio had witnessed testament to such atrocities ever since the beginning of his campaign in Hell, which wasn't exactly that long. Time did not have much meaning in Hell, and it passed differently from, as the old saying goes, 'day to day.' Let's just say that there could be a few years or entire milleniums of time difference between the mortal coil and the realm of the undead.   
  
To Shishio it had only been a few days since he had arrived in Hell, but the reality is that more than two hundred years had passed between that time in the universe of the living. Shishio had quickly learned that fact because of the genuine diversity of the people inhabiting the lower regions, some not even human at all.   
  
However, his thoughts were broken rather quickly. The sharp tip of a lo-chin pressed against the back can interrupt anyone's concentration. However, Makoto Shishio was another sort of person, and would not be surprised by such an underhanded attempt to defeat him. "Heh… Shishio, I thought I told you that I would take your head at any time I deemed convenient," Usui was arrogant, and that was clearly shown in his voice.   
  
But Shishio would not be fazed by such arrogance, he would rather counter with arrogance of his own before striking. "Indeed you did, but you are sadly mistaken my friend…" Shishio's voice was cold and composed, and needless to say, Usui was rather taken aback. The next move came so fast that Usui barely even heard it, an action that utterly surprised him. He at least managed to partially follow through with what happened with his blade, but he couldn't even touch Shishio.  
  
With an effortless surge of agility, Makoto was sky-borne. He back-flipped right over Usui's head in a silent, graceful manner. This was clear display of the skill and power of the shadow hitokiri, his katana being drawn midair. Even as Usui turned to face Shishio he felt the cold jagged steel of the Mugenjin pierce his flesh, cutting open a long gash across his right leg.   
  
Shishio drew the blade's edge from the wound, blood welling up quickly and flowing down the length of the leg. Usui fell down onto his good knee and grimaced in pure pain, his pride not allowing himself to scream. The blind Juppongatana's face was set into an aghast expression, as if not processing the realization that he had once again lost without putting up a fight. Shishio spoke again, a more amused tone set into his voice than before, "However Usui, I am never off guard. Let that wound be a temporary reminder to that fact…"  
  
With those words he simply turned and walked away, leaving the wounded Usui there. Usui the Blind Sword; one of the former members of the Juppongatana, who died at the hands of Saitoh Hajime. Usui was disgraced by Shishio, who took his eyes, and has forever hunted the hitokiri in an effort to extract revenge. However, upon meeting Shishio again he realized that he could not do such a thing, so he accepted an offer to join Shishio in exchange for the chance to take his head at any time he may find Shishio vulnerable.   
  
In life Usui was never able to take up that threat and make good to it. But in death he was still determined to defeat Shishio. However, even now, not even Usui's Eye of the Heart and Ryukyu fighting style could match the awesome power of Makoto Shishio. And he was just proven that fact once again. Usui was wounded physically, but it is his pride that was wounded the hardest.  
  
And sure enough, Makoto Shishio noticed that very truth as he walked away. The thought was amusing, and so he smirked. Next time that fool attacked him, he probably wouldn't get away with just a scratch. Shishio didn't grant mercy, that was just a momentary lapse of leniency. God, he really needed better henchmen.   
  
{**********}  
  
"Welcome back my lord," Houji cheerfully greeted his lord and master as he made his way over the last slope down to the back-end of the battle field, where they were waiting. Shishio smirked slightly and nodded in return to his welcome, and then he turned his attention to Yumi.  
  
She stood there in her usual red kimono with purple trim, looking stunning as usual. Her eyes were set upon him, which were full of love and admiration, and her lips, tinted with green lipstick, were pursed as she awaited a reaction from him. She didn't have to wait long.  
  
Shishio smiled, making his way ever so slowly over to her. He reached upward with his right hand and gently ran it across the left side of her cheek, not caring who was watching. The hand slid upwards across her face and through her hair, affectionately caressing the long-silky brown strands.   
  
Her hair was let down for once, which only enhanced her beauty, so he let his gloved hand run all the way down the length of it. She gazed lovingly into his mysterious eyes, which were now a deep lavender in color, pressing her body up against his own. Without any further hesitation or goading he leaned his head forward, pressing his lips softly upon her own. The kiss was pure, a token of his love for her.   
  
As he continued the kiss gradually became deeper, his tongue delving past her sweet lips and into her mouth, joining her own in an intricate dance. He wrapped his left arm about her, holding her close throughout the silent profession of love. Time seemed to stop, if one could believe in such an event.   
  
But needless to say, it was a romantic moment between the two that the onlookers were witnessing. Not that either of them cared, as was said before. They were very open about their relationship; Shishio was not the kind of man to hide the fact that he loved Yumi.  
  
Finally, the kiss ended; Shishio drew back slightly and breathed softly, his hot breathe streaming across her cheeks. Yumi felt herself melt within his embrace as she continued to just stare into those unearthly eyes. No one dared to interrupt the two, just waiting for them to finish their affections. After a short time Shishio moved away from her, gently taking her right hand into his own as he did. He held it as he turned towards his followers, ready to address them.   
  
"My men, my warriors… Know this, in a few minutes time we shall all be engaged in battle, and I won't lie to you. Some of you may not come back. But this is a risk we all take. Death is the nature of war; it permeates the air during a battle. At least take solace in the fact that you cannot die, although having one's soul taken is probably far worse. The blood that shall cover your bodies, that shall be the blood of your enemies. Our foes shall lay prostrate on the ground before us."  
  
"However, if you doubt yourself, or are too weak, then you shall lose. I do not breed weakness among my men, and if you are taken in battle, I will not save you. Only the strongest survive, in this world or any world. Your very existence shall be maintained by your strength. Strength is the only application in the universe that has any meaning, whether it is strength of mind," With those words he turned his eyes upon Houji, "or strength of spirit," Those eyes turned to Yumi and softened, "Or raw physical strength."  
  
"If you are strong, you will win. And victory will bring you many rewards, including the freedom that I propose for this realm. Freedom from the tyranny of Enma! Onward my warriors, let us together bring a future ruled by the hand of strength. Ruled by my hand. Together we shall find the paradise that was lost, and return it to this hellish realm!" His words were firm and final, and had an uplifting nature about them. Those were the words of a leader, a man so great that his very voice could manipulate the followers around him.   
  
He smiled inwardly as a chorus began amongst his men, the shouts of men ready to face their own ends or to fight and live on. And soon the shouts of praise to Shishio filled the air, "All hail lord Shishio!" He grinned in a most inhuman nature as he unsheathed his katana and raised it high into the air, as if saluting them.   
  
He had to admit they, as loyal and powerful as his warriors are, are but fools. Fools that are easily manipulated by lies and deceit, believing that his rule would actually change this realm for the better. But then again, Shishio could be a better ruler than Enma.   
  
Shishio's grin widened slightly as the thought crossed his brain that perhaps the inhabitants of this realm might consider his rule more fair than a demon who relished the screams of those suffering and tortured. But it did not matter to him, he only cared about proving his might to the entire universe by vanquishing Enma.   
  
The manner of his rule would be considered afterward. After all, this is not Japan, and it is definitely not Earth; this is Hell. With no other nations vying to conquer it, Hell had no need to be turned into a realm of eternal war. After all, this place was already bad enough.  
  
And so the great hitokiri simply basked in the praise of his followers while he awaited the time of battle. He could feel his blood burning, his very soul lusting to see the tainted blood of demons spilled upon the scorched ground. The shouts of men slowly dulled to a quiet murmur of approval as he reveled in the thought of his Mugenjin being fed by black blood and demonic innards. His mouth opened wide and his voice pierced the air, and as he did Yumi caught a glimpse of the ember burning within his eyes and she smiled faintly, noticing her love's eagerness, "It is time!"  
  
He sheathed his blade, and his warriors charged towards the battlefield to assault the fortress. He pulled away from his revelry and turned his attention to Yumi, a slight smile forming upon his lips. "When I return we shall celebrate, just you and me, away from all of the others."   
  
She smiled in return, a kittenish look within her beautiful eyes, "Mmmm… Sounds nice. I await your return Lord Shishio." With a grin he turned and headed off as well, casually making his way into battle. Yumi clutched at herself and stood there, all alone except for Houji, watching and waiting for her lord.   
  
{**********}  
  
[Megadeth – Crush 'Em]  
  
Makato Shishio stood before the very gates of Darnas Irio, raising his now golden eyes towards the crowd of on-looking demons gathered at the battlements. His voice was raised out to them, a menacing nature laced about it, yet also taunting at the same time, "Come on! I came here expecting a challenge, not a weak pathetic bunch of cowards! Is this all the demon race can offer me?! A fortress filled with ugly looking rats that skulk within its walls! Are you afraid to face a mere army of ten thousand mortals?! Come face me you cowards!" Blood-curdling cries filled the air as the demons began to stir within the walls. And Shishio casually leaned to the left as an arrow soared right by his face, hitting nothing but dirt.   
  
"Pathetic! Arrows, heh… Is this the power of the demon race? Resorting to such primitive means of defense in the face of true power?" In response to his statement a voice rose amongst all the other demons, a voice that scorched the very air in its wake and curdled the blood of the men listening, all but Shishio. "No… Pathetic mortal… You wish to face our true power? So be it!"   
  
The top of the battlement flared suddenly with an unholy light, and the men amongst Shishio's army felt the true malevolent presence of evil. "Move!" Shishio's body turned into a blur of speed as he side-stepped the demon's first true attack, and he knew, had he been hit with it, he wouldn't have been able to participate in this battle.  
  
He turned his head in time to see a huge ball of what seemed like black hellfire crash right into the chest of one of his men that was unfortunately behind him and just too slow. The man was thrown back, and it seemed that the fire wrapped about his form, and it flowed like water.   
  
He let up a scream of pure agony as the black essence engulfed him and scorched at his very soul. An outcry of disbelief emanated from amongst Shishio's men as the fire faded, and they saw that the darkness had completely burned away the man's astral body.   
  
Shishio watched as the unfortunate soldier's soul detached itself from the pile of ashes that was its former body and flew right up into the clutches of the demons above. Well, Shishio thought, now or never. "First battalion retreat!"   
  
He screamed the order loudly above the outcry of his men, and almost immediately they started to run towards the hills, screaming in mock fear. Shishio followed, and he actually grinned as he went. As surprising as that attack was, his plan was still going perfectly.   
  
He sensed a disturbance in the air, and his eyes darted back briefly to see a barrage of those hellfire balls following them. He screamed out to his followers, warning them, "Faster!" And soon the entire first half of the army approached the second half.   
  
Shishio's voice sounded out to them as he passed, " Second battalion, stay here and attack!" The more bloodthirsty of the men in that unit screamed in a veritable collective war cry as they surged out into the battlefield. Unfortunately the first rank, or those of them that didn't move out of the way, met an untimely end at the force of the hellfire blasts.   
  
Soon the first battalion had fled the battlefield completely, and the second rushed towards the fortress, their weapons ready. That same dark voice from within the fortress rose louder than the chorus of the demons within once again, "Open the gates! Crush the mortals!"   
  
The dark gates of Darnas Irio gave a brief shudder and then slowly, menacingly drew open, the pungent stench of death flowing out from within and filling the air as they came apart. And from them surged forth a great number of demons, each one of them different in shape and size, but all of them dark and menacing and very ugly.  
  
Their eyes shone a crimson red light, and they charged towards the oncoming battalion extruding cries of lust and rage. The two forces met in a great crash, the front ranks of both sides being almost annihilated at the very beginning of the clash.   
  
Bodies were thrown, and heads were taken, and demons were felled. It was far too chaotic a battle to tell who had the upper hand, both men and demon alike being bloodied. One thing could be said, at least the demons were far easier to destroy than the mortals.   
  
So perhaps the mortals would win this battle, since demons could easily be killed as if they were humans in the world of the living, while mortals could only lose their souls through decapitation. Demons are living beings, unlike the mortals that inhabit the realm, and when they die their souls flee the realm and go to the Astral Plane, where they become nightmares.   
  
But alas, it still would not be so easy for Shishio's second battalion to win the battle, because another rank of demons were emerging from behind the gates. The whole force of the demon army was flooding out from behind those dark doors.   
  
But Houji's plan did not predict nor leave room for defeat. The missing first battalion charged down one of the surrounding hills with Makato Shishio in the lead, having wheeled around the field. He screamed with rage, the sound actually causing fear amongst the demons as they turned their eyes towards the oncoming army.   
  
They were trapped, suddenly their folly becoming known. The second force of demons turned and tried to flee back towards the gates, but it was too late. Shishio's battalion broke into their forces, pinning them between two very skilled mortal armies.   
  
Shishio drew his Mugenjin and leapt into battle, brandishing the blade menacingly. His katana met the neck of the first demon he came upon, and before the other demons around him could even react he was moving again. His body expertly turned about as he let his blade lash out, cutting one demon right in half horizontally at the waist. Another beast fell at the wayside as he tried to decapitate Shishio with a large black blade, his legs sliced off. The demons that weren't busy with Shishio's soldiers charged him, trying to outnumber the great warrior.   
  
Shishio grinned as his legendary katana caught the blade of one of those black swords the demons liked to use; he pulled back slightly and let it grind across the surface of the sword. An intense fire exploded from the katana, and the attacking demon actually stepped back in surprise. Shishio swung his weapon towards the offender, and it scorched the air in its wake. The blade sunk deep into the innards of the demon, having cleft into its shoulder and gone all the way down into its waist.   
  
The fire licked at the natural oil, which is much more reactive than human oil, within the dying creature, and its body just exploded. Shishio drew back as the fire engulfed a few more demons, burning them to a cinder. The remaining demons backed up, actually fearing the power of the leader of the mortals.   
  
Shishio pushed forth into the ranks of the demons, even farther ahead than his men. He surrounded himself with demons, but he didn't care, he liked it that way. His blade just tirelessly rose and fell, slaughtering every fiend in his wake.   
  
He was attacked from all sides, the demons trying to outnumber him once again. But it was ineffective; the Mugenjin was swung out in a wide arc, killing five demons as it went. At the very same time he grabbed the throat of one of the nearby demons with his free hand.   
  
The demon's dark eyes widened as it felt the incredible heat of Shishio's hand right through the glove, burning at its throat. Shishio forced the beast to the ground and quickly brought his katana around, striking its tip across the glove. The creature finally smelled the gunpowder within the gauntlet, but it was too late.   
  
The glove exploded in a huge fiery blast, and when the smoke cleared, there was one very dead demon with its throat blown open. But Shishio didn't take the time to look at his handy work, he felt the air above his head distort because of a lance thrust out towards him as he pushed the now dead-demon down to the ground. Unfortunate for the demon that it missed, because Shishio's blade cut it right in half vertically. No matter how many fiends were put against him, none of them could defeat him.   
  
And that was the way it went as the battle progressed, and it started to tip in favor of the mortals. The shadow hitokiri pushed his way into the very middle of the battle, and out of the corner of his eyes he noticed someone familiar. He laughed softly as he cut down another demon, making his way towards Usui. The blind warrior expertly avoided a torrent of blows, but made no move to counter.   
  
He was playing with his opponents, perhaps to let off some steam from his prior defeat. But then his ears picked up on a familiar sound, the sound of a flickering flame accompanied by a sword that cut the very air asunder. He knew Shishio was near, and so he stopped playing.   
  
Usui feinted to the left and then flipped back right onto the head of one of the surrounding demons. He kicked off, and drew his body about as he flew into the air. His body spun around one whole revolution as he reached the heads of the demons, his lo-chin held out before himself. The weapon sliced into the necks of every surrounding demon, killing them all instantly.  
  
Usui twisted his body about and landed in a crouch just as Shishio reached him. "Bravo!" Shishio snickered as he sidestepped one very clumsy attack from the only nearby living demon. The rest of the beasts around them were piled atop each other, forming a natural barricade between the two warriors and the rest of the battle. And before the demon could even follow through, it joined its companions upon the ground. Usui growled slightly, grinding his teeth together before responding, "Oh shut up Shishio!"  
  
Well Shishio wasn't offended by Usui's vehement proclamation, but he did know exactly how to offend Usui. "So, you actually decided to show your face. I was afraid the wound I inflicted was too much for your frail body." Usui hissed and took a step towards his antagonist, raising his lo-chin, pressing the tip of the blade against Shishio's chest.   
  
"I swear Shishio, I'm going to kill you!" The great warrior just casually stood there amongst the dead bodies, his katana held loosely at his side, but there was a spark of interest within his eyes. He smirked in a very amused manner as he responded, "Try it."  
  
Usui was fuming, his hands roughly gripping the shaft of the lo-chin. Shishio was just at the point of laughter, after all, the fool was very amusing. But his time enjoying the foolishness of his self-proclaimed rival was suddenly cut short. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed something large and hulking, coming right out of the gates. He craned his head to the side to get a better look, and then noticed the largest demon he had ever seen just forcing its way out of the fortress.   
  
The fiend was impressive, a huge muscular beast at least twelve whole meters tall. Its skin was a deep crimson red in color and it had large bloodied horns extruding from almost every part of its body. Hellfire seemed to pour from its lidless eyes, and the second it stepped onto the field the very air became thicker. And last, but definitely not least, it wielded a massive glaive that had to be about fourteen meters in length. There was definitely a good chance that this monster was the originator of the dark voice that commanded the demons.   
  
Whatever the case, the behemoth instantly threw itself into the battle, trudging over the piles of dead demons. The creature drew back its huge weapon, its thick muscles tensing. And in one horrible moment it let the weapon loose, the blade just instantly decapitating over a dozen mortals.   
  
Shishio knew that none of his men had a chance against such a titan. So he decided that he had no more time to play with the blind fool, and that he had to cut their little pleasant chat short.   
  
Usui noticed the beast, he could hear its great footsteps, its raspy breath, and even the contraction of its internal organs. But he knew that it was far away from the both of them, and that he had enough time to settle the score with Shishio .   
  
And besides, he knew he could always handle that huge demon by himself, or at least he thought so. So he decided to take up Shishio's offer, before the hitokiri decided to do something about the beast himself. But unfortunately for Usui, Shishio was still paying attention to him while eyeing the demon.   
  
That fact became very apparent when Usui tried to skewer him in the chest, because the blade hit nothing but air. Well it did hit something, but not what the Juppongatana wanted to hit. Shishio's upper body just suddenly bent all the way back, the blade going right over his chest.   
  
But Usui did manage to get close to his objective, the blade caught onto some of the bandages that were bound across Shishio's chest. But Shishio, the innovator that he is, turned that screw up into an advantage for himself.   
  
He reached up and grabbed onto the shaft of the lo-chin with his left hand and used it as leverage to pull his upper body back up. But he didn't just pull it back up, he used that leverage to nearly catapult himself back into a standing position.   
  
In fact, his forehead kind of smashed right into Usui's face. And that had to hurt, considering that he was wearing a metallic head-guard hidden under some of his bandages. Usui fell back, but he was still gripping his weapon, which was currently in Shishio's hand. Unfortunately for him, he was pulled right back into yet another vicious head-butt.   
  
Usui finally got smart amongst the haze of well-placed blows and let go of the lo-chin. He fell and crashed hard onto his back, landing atop a very dismembered demonic body. Shishio actually did laugh this time, and hard. As he did he casually ripped the lo-chin's blade from his bandages and threw it on top of Usui's prone form. He just kept on laughing as he started to walk away from the now groaning idiot, who was currently clutching his head.   
  
But before he left he turned towards the fallen warrior, "Listen, I'll deal with you later Usui. But for now, collect yourself and go help out the second battalion. And oh, have fun shaking off that headache…" Shishio snickered hard as he made his way off, going to confront the behemoth that was making it difficult for his army. Usui shook his head and moaned slightly in pain, cursing Shishio underneath his breath, "Bastard…"  
  
{**********}  
  
[Pantera – Immortally Insane]  
  
The giant demon laughed, a thoroughly dark sound that reverberated throughout the air. It lifted the glaive over its head, poised for its next strike. The men around the beast attacked it in vain, their weakly crafted swords just glancing off its thick hide. The creature's lips curled back in a dark grin, revealing two massive rows of sharp teeth.   
  
It decided to reward them for their efforts instead of attacking the busy soldiers farther away, and so it switched the giant weapon's position within its hands, pointing it vertical from the ground. The behemoth thrust the blade downwards, actually sundering one unlucky mortal. The rest of the soldiers were thrown back by the force, the ground about the impact exploding and sending a huge cloud of dust and ash into the air.   
  
The creature snorted triumphantly and arched its head back, letting out a piercing roar that echoed throughout the entire field. But the demon's enjoyment of its pitiful victory was cut rather short, since a very arrogant voice emerged from the cloud below. "So… You must think you're pretty powerful eh? I mean, you must be the strongest being on this battlefield, what with your huge… unnecessary… size."   
  
A look of pure puzzlement crossed the creature's face, and it leaned down, examining the ash cloud, searching for the offending figure. "Who dares…?" The giant demon showed that it indeed was the voice of darkness from within the fortress, the very sound causing the nearby troops to shudder with fear.   
  
But it didn't cause the man within the cloud of dust and ash to shudder, and that was revealed as a chill wind came in from the east and swept the cloud right away. Makato Shishio stood there, alone within a massive crater that was caused by the glaive, gazing with dark menacing ruby red eyes up at the demon. "I dare… Got a problem with that?" The demon was baffled that a mere-mortal, and a very strange looking one at that, would challenge him; alone. The creature could only wonder what sort of fool stood before him.   
  
The creature nearly laughed, "Do you actually think you can stand against me? Do you? Little mortal man… I'll grind your bones into paste and rip your head off, slowly…" This time it was Shishio that was the amused one, and he actually did laugh, a very dark deep laughter.   
  
"What are you making a recipe for samurai stew? That's classic, grind my bones into paste… Hehehe… Well I have a suggestion, how about you shut that stupid toothy hole you call a mouth and fight me? We'll see who the stronger of us is…" Shishio let his head lean forward and he closed his eyes, almost as if in a show of disrespect.   
  
The demon was clearly taken aback, he had never been so disrespected in his entire existence, and definitely not by a puny mortal being. He had had enough. He pulled the glaive from the ground and quickly thrust it towards the offending human.   
  
But Makato Shishio was too quick for the beast, and merely stepped back a bit, which proved to be yet another insulting act. The behemoth was actually becoming angry now, it drew the blade back and once again thrust it forward. This time Shishio simply flipped back away from the glaive.  
  
He landed gently upon the barren ground, and, in the ultimate show of disrespect, yawned at the pathetically slow assaults of the beast. The creature's patience snapped, and it was thrown into a berserk rage. It hefted the glaive back into its large hands and threw it outward horizontally as fast as it could, hoping to decapitate the disrespectful mortal being. But once again Shishio disappointed the beast and simply ducked under the swing.   
  
The creature was being driven insane, and was far beyond the point of even being able to speak now. It just wanted to kill the obstruction before it. The behemoth resorted to its old tactics and just thrust the glaive out towards its opponent.   
  
Shishio decided to end this farce, and so he leaped straight towards the glaive as it came to him. He landed right upon the shaft as it impacted with the ground, and, without wasting any time, started to run up the length of it. As he reached the end of the shaft he simply jumped off, propelling himself straight towards the creature's meaty neck.   
  
It was all over in an instant, Shishio showing off a brilliant display of midair agility. The attack was so fluid it was elegant; his body twisted about completely in midair as he came upon the creature's neck, and he used the force of that spin to swing his katana. The extra force and the sharpness of the blade overcame the giant's thick skin, and just effortlessly cut into the neck.   
  
Black blood boiled out from the wound and the creature opened its maw wide, as if to scream, but only a raspy groan emerged. The creature fell, and time seemed to stop as it impacted hard into the ground. The entire battlefield shook, the weight of the creature and the force of its fall causing tremors to occur around the area.   
  
And Shishio landed softly upon the balls of his feet, in a crouched position far away from the now fallen creature. He stood very slowly, black blood pouring down his bandaged form. He grinned darkly, a blazing fire shining within his menacing eyes.   
  
"Pathetic… I'm disappointed, I was hoping the buffoon would at least provide more of a challenge." He turned those eyes upon the battle, and noticed that everyone, even the demons, had stopped and were staring in awe at him.   
  
It was at that point that everything came into perspective, the battle was won. And the remaining demons realized that, and after seeing their leader's defeat they weren't going to stick around and face that bandaged monster that vanquished him. So they turned and fled, if they could.   
  
Either way, the battle was won. And in the end only a handful of demons managed to escape, fleeing off to who knows where. Not that Shishio cared, let them go and spread the word. He wanted to make Enma fear him, and messengers telling of tales of an inhuman warlord would definitely instill fear.   
  
His grin turned to a smile as his followers thrust their weapons into the air in victory and gave out a collective triumphant cry. Some of them rushed towards the fortress, ready to claim whatever spoils they could come across. Shishio merely reached casually into the folds of his sash and produced a dry piece of cloth.   
  
He drew the fabric across the blade of the Mugenjin, wiping the offensive demon blood from it. The fabric fell into two pieces as he finished, and afterwards he just casually sheathed his katana. He had to admit, although there was no challenge, the battle had been fun.   
  
Far away a telescope was lowered, and Houji smiled wider than anyone even present at the battle did. "Amazing, Lord Shishio utterly crushed them! The battle is over already." He was ecstatic, after all, after only two battles his lord had easily captured a huge area of land. He wondered if all the campaigns in Hell would be this easy.   
  
Yumi smiled softly as her eyes wandered over her pocket watch, "Eleven minutes and forty-five seconds. That was quick." She closed the lid of the watch and tucked it back into the sleeve of her kimono. Her soft gaze turned towards the scene of the former battleground. She simply smiled.   
  
{**********}  
  
Yumi sat down upon the ledge of the front battlement of the now deserted fortress Darnas Irio. She was gleaming with joy for her love, especially since he had made his first real major conquest in Hell. And for the brief moment that she had seen him at the end of battle, before he started to establish his claim upon the fortress, he was actually happy for once. She couldn't wait until he was finished conforming the overtaken fort to his liking and came to visit her; in fact, she was giddy with delight. And she wasn't even the bubbly type of woman, but a real refined lady.   
  
But Yumi couldn't help it, she was just glad for her lord. She quickly looked down at the faraway ground from over the ledge, and smiled as she let her legs hang over it, dangling them about slightly. Yumi laughed, thinking about how she would never have ever sat in such a dangerous place when she was alive.  
  
But then again, she was now dead, a condition that had some advantages; like the fact it couldn't happen again. So throw fear to the wind and enjoy the afterlife, that was her new motto.   
  
If she wanted to she could very well jump from the ledge she was sitting upon; it would probably prove to be quite a rush. However, it would hurt, since pain still seemed to exist in this realm. And then there was the fact that Yumi was too dignified to do such a thing.   
  
Either way, it was just a principle to show that she had no fear for herself now. But there was still something Yumi was afraid of, but not for her own self. Her gaze turned towards the ominous crystalline castle of Enma, which for some reason always seemed close, just looming over the horizon.   
  
Perhaps it was a trick that Enma created in order to instill fear upon the residents of Hell. Whatever the reason, she always felt afraid when looking at that castle. She was afraid for Shishio; Yumi didn't know what she'd do if anything happened to him when he went up against the ruler of Hell.   
  
She couldn't live, well exist, without him. That is why she died for him; it hadn't mattered to her at the time if she lived or not unless Shishio lived as well, so she tried to save him. In the end she was impaled on his very sword, but she understood in that moment that she had finally been of use to her love, and in a way she helped him in his battle against the Battousai.   
  
She didn't care if he had killed her with his own hands; she had understood why he did it, because fighting was everything to him. And she knew that he still loved her; no hatred was within his hand when he struck, for he only aimed to kill Himura, and she just happened to be in the way.   
  
It could be said that no two people understood each other more than Yumi and Shishio. She held pure devotion to him, enough that she would die for him. Yumi knew she would do anything, anything at all, to make sure that Shishio wouldn't suffer a defeat at Enma's hands.   
  
She glared at the castle, contempt for its very presence welling up within her. At that very moment she made a promise to herself, until the day that Makato Shishio ruled within the walls of it, she would hold an utter hatred for that castle. Yumi was startled from her thoughts when she felt a warm hand clasp her right shoulder. Shishio smiled softly down at her and spoke before she could even turn around to see him, "What are you doing my love?"   
  
Her eyes softened and she lovingly laid her head across his hand, still staring off into the distance. "Just thinking about how bland the scenery is, nothing like Japan. I miss the cherry blossoms and the snowy mountains, and I especially wish I could see the Rising Sun and then watch it set in the West, heralding the alluring starry night." Makato didn't respond, almost as if he thought his voice would break their moment together.   
  
Neither of them spoke, gazing at the darkened horizon, only the constant blue eerie glow accentuating it. Finally, Shishio voiced his own thoughts, "I agree. The constant darkness underneath this roof of stone," his eyes turned upwards towards the stalagmite incrusted roof that many referred to as 'The Upper Jaw of Hell's Mouth', "is very depressing. I find myself longing for more diverse scenery as well. Perhaps I shall do something about this once I am in control; would you like that?"  
  
She laughed, a soft alluring sound that played sweetly across his ears. "I would enjoy that very much…" Yumi felt his hand withdraw from her shoulder, and in an instant she found herself drawn within his strong arms. Shishio held her, his currently lavender eyes gazing longingly into her own.   
  
She blushed despite her rather dignified nature, and her lord smiled softly in return, finding the cute gesture rather enjoyable. "Come my love, I wish to show you something… beautiful. When my men were clearing the catacombs below the fort, they found something amazing, the only thing that has fancied my eyes beyond you in this dark world."  
  
And Makato Shishio gently carried his love within his arms, as a true man would, down from the battlements, taking her to this wondrous sight that was discovered.   
  
{**********}  
  
Yumi could see nothing, for her eyes were covered by Shishio's warm hands. She waited for the surprise to be revealed, content to be encircled within his arms. "Are you ready?" She simply nodded, and then the veil was lifted from her. Yumi's eyes filled with an unearthly light, and she felt herself instantly brighten in the face of such incredible beauty.   
  
The catacomb was covered at every inch by large, complex crystals, each glowing with a differing amount of multi-colored light. She felt as if she was trapped within a prism, one crystal's inner light reflecting off another and splitting into a myriad of colors.   
  
Yumi felt better than she had yet in Hell, except those times within her lord's arms, because this was the first scene of eloquent brilliance she had witnessed within the realm. "It's beautiful…" Shishio responded readily, "Yes, it is… But also disquieting."   
  
Her eyes turned upon him, yet for once she seemed hesitant to look upon his face, her vision drawn insatiably towards the visage of light before her instead. "What do you mean my lord?" He gently set her down upon her feet, and she noticed the solemn look upon his face, "These crystals, though radiant, herald nothing but sadness. You see, they contain the stolen souls of those cursed to this realm." Her heart dropped in that very moment.   
  
The very thought that every single crystal among this countless cavern of them held a soul burned at her consciousness. The new look in her eyes told of her feelings on the matter, and Shishio caught that fact very easily.   
  
To have pity for those too weak to survive; that showed her strength of character. He knew that that was why he loved her; not just because of her loveliness, but also because of her wonderful character. As he once said, no good man is without a good woman.   
  
Her gaze turned back to the crystalline prisons, but they did not have the allure that they held beforehand. Her lord was right, this scene was indeed disquieting, once the truth of it was revealed. A question entered her mind, and her will forced her to ask it of her love. Yumi knew that he might not like the request, but her stubborn nature insisted upon it. "Lord Shishio, might I free just one of these unfortunate souls?"  
  
Shishio was not shocked to hear this, the look that was set upon her face before having dictated her thoughts clearly. He already had the answer for her, "Very well… But you must choose the one yourself. And know this, you may only pick the strongest among them." A look of puzzlement appeared upon her lovely face, "But how will I know which soul is the strongest?" He broke his original solemn visage with a grin.  
  
"That is simple, the one that glows brightest and feels the hottest to the touch is the strongest. This is because of the aura of the soul, it adversely affects the crystal's radiance." She gave him a look that seemed to ask how he knew of such matters.   
  
He wryly responded with another grin, "A soldier told me." Yumi smiled slightly due to the amused tone set into her lord's voice, and she bowed low in respect to his momentary generosity. He nodded in return, "Go then, I shall follow you."   
  
Yumi let her eyes rove over the crystals before her, and while she did not find one brighter than the others just yet, she did find a path to take through them. Her feet followed that path, and she felt the floor begin to slope upwards. Shishio followed from behind, trudging up what was becoming a sort of hill within the cavern. Her soft eyes darted back and forth amongst the structures, looking for one of them that shinned brighter than the others.   
  
Finally, she reached the zenith of the hill, and came across a very large jagged crystal that gave off an almost blinding lavender light. Yumi hesitantly reached out with both hands, and set them upon it. It was so hot that it almost burned her hands, and she quickly removed them. She took a silent step back and turned towards Shishio.   
  
"This one." He smiled at her and nodded, having found her choice rather well, "You have chosen wisely my love. With any luck, this one might make a fine addition to my army." He moved past her, and reached out towards the pommel of the Mugenjin. He grasped the hilt of the blade, and drew it from its sheathe silently.   
  
Shishio took the katana into both hands, and drew it up behind himself, readying for the blow. And in one instant his sword was let loose, the very wind cut before its wake. It cut deftly into the crystal, and cracks began to form about the newly formed gash.   
  
And suddenly the brilliant prism shattered, hundreds of crystal droplets falling to the floor amongst the almost deafening sound. A light flared up from the broken shards, and it exploded silently outwards, filling the entire catacomb.   
  
Both Shishio and Yumi covered their eyes, thankfully just before the event. And when they uncovered them, they beheld the figure of a man lying upon the harsh ground, draped within a sort of ornate robe from head to toe. He seemed human, but his garments were alien to his saviors, and he extruded an aura that Shishio could feel quite clearly. The man's hair flowed down to just below his shoulders, and was tied within a ponytail. It was of an odd color as well, a deep purple, perhaps plum.   
  
Within his right hand the man clutched an odd staff, because it seemed to have been carved of some sort of wood. Yet the method of carving was unknown to either Shishio or Yumi, because the staff seemed almost alive, and it had a very elegant nature about it. But they had no time to question themselves about the strange taste of clothing and weaponry of the newly discovered man, because he was coming to.   
  
He groaned in discomfort, his back arching up into the air slightly, almost as if he were trying to pull himself into a sitting position. But he failed, and fell back down upon his stomach. His eyes fluttered open, which were a brilliant crimson in tint, and he noticed two blurry figures amongst the haze that was his current vision. The man moaned in evident pain, and he mouthed almost silent words. His voice was cracked and very hard to understand, "No… more… tor… ture…"   
  
With those words he passed out, once again lying silently upon the ground. Shishio turned his eyes to Yumi, but he never got to speak his thoughts on the matter. No sooner than the man had collapsed a presence had made itself known. Shishio quickly turned round, bringing his sword up into a defensive posture. What could only be described as some sort of elongated organic raven blade struck hard against the Mugenjin. Shishio held his katana tight, and watched the abomination as it coiled back, like a snake.   
  
The blade contorted, and retreated back into the darkness from whence it came. Shishio readied himself for the next attack, because he could feel that they were not yet in the clear. His eyes turned to the light from the crystals behind him, and then down to his own shadow.   
  
And from that shadow burst the weapon once again, except this time it was shaped more like a pike, and was even fleshier. The hitokiri easily parried the blow though, and watched with disgust as the weapon's black "flesh" bubbled at the base and then sunk back into the shadows.   
  
His eyes moved to and fro, studying the area around him. And suddenly he reared his sword arm back, flipping the katana about skillfully within his hand. Shishio then just threw it forward, as if it were a javelin of sorts. The blade traveled a great distance, and impaled itself within one of the dark cavern walls. A figure emerged from within the shadows, the Mugenjin stuck within its right shoulder.   
  
A black blood welled up from the wound, and the figure lurched forward, into the light. It was a man, with long raven hair and a sinister look held within his deep emerald eyes. He seemed to wear darkness about himself, and an armor covered his upper body that looked to be made of black flesh and dried bones. And from his back sprouted two torn bat-like wings, which proved to be the only indication of the fact that he wasn't human.   
  
He winced visibly, and a stream of ebon blood flowed down from his bottom lip. He drew the hand from his uninjured shoulder across his fair yet sinister face, wiping the blood away. And then he just nodded in respect towards his opponent, reaching over and placing that hand lightly upon the blade embedded within his shoulder. The Mugenjin withdrew from the man's shoulder upon contact, and just floated in midair before him. With a silent gesture from that same hand the sword disappeared suddenly, and returned to its owner's hand.   
  
Shishio eyed the dark being with puzzlement, grasping tight upon the hilt of his newly returned blade. And finally the attacker spoke, his voice elegant and soft, yet it seemed to reverberate in on itself. "My applause for a marvelous display of skill, no one has ever avoided my attacks."   
  
An arrogant nature found its way onto Shishio's face, "Well you've just found someone who can…" The other man grinned in a very malicious manner, "Indeed… But I have not come to fight you… That was merely a test to prove your threat to Lord Enma… I am his messenger."  
  
A spark of inquiry could be seen within Shishio's now golden eyes within that moment, the impact of his conquest of Darnas Irio must be great. Word travels fast in Hell, Shishio thought. "Well, well… I am honored, to be seen as such a threat to be given the pleasure of a message from the very ruler of Hell himself. But tell me messenger, what is your name? I would like to know the name of the one who I shall be insulting." If the messenger was irked at the response, he did not show it.  
  
"My name is Fenrir Amino, I am known as the Demon Blade," his grin widened at that moment, "and I am sure you won't be so insulting once you have heard my lord's generous proposal." Shishio was curious, although he probably wouldn't take whatever was offered. His reply was simple, "Go on." Fenrir's wings spread and then wrapped about himself, as if a cloak.   
  
"My Lord Enma has declared this… He is impressed with your resilience, ruthlessness, and power, but he says that if you continue beyond this point then you shall fall. However, since his generosity knows no bounds, he is willing to bestow this land that you have won freely upon you if you do him a favor in return and swear never to tread against him again. Otherwise my lord shall be forced to send a great army onto you and crush you where you stand…"   
  
The hitokiri smirked at Enma's feigned good nature, but decided to be interested in the terms of the proposal. After all, he might find some way to profit from this and then screw Enma over later. Fenrir was right when he described Shishio as ruthless, because he would betray anyone to attain his goal. "What sort of favor?" The messenger's grin widened enough so that his pearly white teeth were shown; his sharp canines set against his bottom lip. "You must capture the soul of a certain… nuisance… for us."   
  
Shishio laughed, a deep dark tone raveled about it. "That's it? Capture the soul of one person? You must be joking…" The grin that was set upon Fenrir's face suddenly faltered, and he took upon a serious tone. "Unfortunately no… He has caused us a lot of trouble in the past few days, and all of the demons sent against him have died. Those who have survived said he is a god…" Shishio's interest quirked then, "A god you say? I accept… But I must know, who is the name of this god that I will slay?"  
  
Fenrir smirked in relief that the warrior accepted his proposal, "You wish to know due to terms of honor during battle eh?" Shishio grinned slightly; perhaps this messenger was a well-versed fighter after all. "Yes, it is proper to know the name of your opponent." The demonic being nodded, "Very well… His name is…"  
  
{**********}  
  
[Billy Idol – Buried Alive]  
  
Kagato Akara followed the scream around the bend. He did not know why he let himself be bothered by such a noise; sounds like that occurred all the time in this accursed realm. And he did not care about the fate of insignificant mortal souls. In this world he cared only for two things, his own self and the quest for knowledge; everything else was trivial. But he just had a feeling that what was happening pertained to something important.   
  
Frankly he found it rather absurd that he would let instinct guide his actions, since he was a man who acted upon facts. But as he had learned, truth can be found within fiction at times. And one must believe in the existence of things that cannot be seen. Destiny brought him to this point, and perhaps it still drove him forward. And so it was with much distaste that he rounded yet another bend, bringing himself closer to the origin of the rather feminine scream.   
  
His tan boots stepped across charred and broken bones below, and a skull shattered beneath his feet. He mentally cursed the unsteady terrain that surrounded the area of his residence, since it would prove to be a lousy battleground for whatever trouble lay ahead.   
  
But still, if worse came to worse he would just maneuver via levitation. Kagato's sensitive ears picked up upon the low sound of a muffled scream, and he turned his head towards the origin of it.   
  
Finally he was near, the sound having come from just under a nearby cliff. "Hmmmm…" Kagato decided that it would be best to investigate the situation instead of rushing into it blindly. His form shifted, and was gone from its prior space in but milliseconds, as if his body was never there.   
  
He reappeared standing upon the ledge of the cliff, gazing silently down at the scene that drew him. And what he saw caused his eyes to widen in pure surprise.   
  
He had found the originator of the screams, who was definitely female, and also noticed that the resemblance to someone he once knew was uncanny. In fact, there was no doubt about it, the girl was someone familiar. He could never forget anyone that he had met within his long existence, and the darkly tanned skin and long fine raven hair was not something one would forget. She was a Yutsukian, a humanoid race that was known for its elvish ears and tan skin.   
  
He could sense her fear, and it was evident within her soft hazel eyes. Of course, anyone could feel afraid when caught within the clutches of a Gorgothian demon. The creature was about six and a half meters in height, and it had a reptilian nature about it. Its body was humanoid, with massive deformed muscles and thick scales, but its head was shaped like the head of a rattlesnake. The demon's maw was wide open, and its fangs glistened with venom.   
  
The serpentine beast was holding her about her waist within its thick, meaty right paw, while it let its left hand travel up her soft supple left thigh. The slit eyes of the creature were filled with a dark lust. A deep hiss erupted from the back of the creature's throat, and it reveled within the frantic squirming of her curvaceous body. A long serpentine tongue was drawn teasingly across her right cheek and over her forehead.   
  
Kagato was evil, but he wasn't sadistically so. And he was a gentleman, so he could not just sit back and watch this perverse demon defile one of his former students, for that is what she was. A dark guttural laugh emerged from his mouth, and alerted both beings to his presence.   
  
The startled demon turned its attention immediately towards the evil genius, and it was so surprised that it dropped the intended victim. The girl landed roughly upon the ground, her eyes wide as she frantically cried out to her supposed savior. "Professor Kagato! I… I've found you! Please sir… help me!"   
  
He did not respond to her cry for help, but he did have something to say to the perverted beast, "How rude, you and your kind simply have no idea how to properly treat a lady. Why don't you come up here and let me instruct you in the proper mannerisms of how to conduct a relationship with a member of the feminine sex." Kagato had a menacing presence about himself, and his unearthly eyes seemed to pierce the very soul of the demon, chilling it to the bone.   
  
But the demon would not be one to retreat in the face of a challenge, and definitely not when the challenger was a foolish lone mortal. The beast's lower muscles contracted beneath its scaly flesh as its legs bunched together and it just burst into the air.   
  
Kagato took a few casual steps back as the reptilian beast landed with a loud thud right in front of him. A slight cloud of dirt kicked up from the disturbed ground upon the forceful impact underneath the weight of the creature.   
  
The demon lurched forward, its jaws snapping threateningly, a loud continuous hiss emanating from its throat. If it meant to intimidate Kagato, it did not work. A cool nature was about the former space pirate as he slowly raised his right hand from beneath the folds of his cloak. His wrist pivoted downward slightly and his gloved hand quickly closed into a clenched fist. And about his fist a sword composed of green energy materialized.   
  
The Gorgothian's neck coiled back, as if readying itself for the strike, and it charged, a foolish maneuver. Kagato casually stepped around the massive charging demon, no small task mind you, and rotated his body about in one full circle as he let his sword swing. The energy blade was let loose at such a speed that it cleanly struck the creature, not once, but twice.   
  
The sword clipped the creature at the left of its abdomen as it passed, and then cut right into it from behind once it was completely past Kagato. The second blow severed the creature's lower and upper body, and the lower body ran forward a few more feet before falling while the upper body was thrown high into the air.   
  
Kagato turned about to examine his handy work as the upper body landed right behind him. The Gorgothian demon's jaw opened as wide as it could as an unearthly scream erupted from within its dying form. Kagato knew that it wouldn't be long before the life drained from the demon, but it would probably take a few minutes due to the clean nature of the wound. The overall heat of his energy blade had seared the very flesh and bone of the wound closed.  
  
But ebon blood still seeped from beyond the burnt flesh at some areas, albeit very slowly, so it would die nonetheless. Kagato smirked in triumph, an arrogant nature about him. And he taunted the dying reptile, "That concludes our lesson my friend… It is unfortunate that you won't live long enough to experience another one of my lectures." It could be said that Kagato generally let his sword do his talking in situations pertaining to demons. Lectures indeed.   
  
He turned round, disregarding the still screaming serpent, since it could cause no further harm. His yellow eyes turned towards his former student, who was still quivering upon the ground, but with awe instead of fear. Kagato's feet rose from the ground, and he casually floated forward. His form slowly lowered down from the cliff-face, and he landed gently upon the terrain where his former student currently resided.   
  
Amongst the shivering of the girl, she still managed to crack a smile and a wry comment. "Why Professor… you never taught us that, I'm jealous." In spite of his usual serious nature he laughed softly, having found her witty comment quite funny. "Quite the jokester, per usual. Nothing has changed, has it Rei Karai?"   
  
Kagato walked right over to where she lay, turning his gaze down upon her. By the time he was over her she had stopped shivering, and she gave a somehow cute toothy grin before responding. "Nope!" Seriously, this girl, never serious, Kagato thought.   
  
He let the energy blade dissipate, and then showed a clear display of his chivalry by offering her the very hand which held it beforehand. Rei reached up hesitantly, and gently grasped the offering. Kagato grinned slightly as he helped her to her feet, "Besides… Swordsmanship was Yakage's field, remember?"   
  
{**********}  
  
Rei Karai was in awe. She had never, ever, seen something so impressive in her very long stay in Hell. The Yatsukian female gazed with astonished eyes upon a structure created from pure willpower. Rei's hazel eyes ran all over the elegant entrance of the impressive residence. The entry was designed to emulate an amalgamation of Jurian design with pre-Atarukan era Todianian architecture.   
  
Two columns were on both sides of the front door, and they seemed to be constructed of pure Jurian wood, intertwining about each other in various intricate patterns. They were covered with golden leaves that seemed to resonate with the very presence of Kagato. It was clear that his very existence sustained them. But it was the door that was the most impressive of all.   
  
Mere words could not possibly describe the elegant, radiant, design that was the entryway. Not even such a universal word as beautiful could do it justice. The doorway was the greatest example of Todianian artwork she had ever seen.   
  
It was lined with the infamous organic metal Ernaoria, which held an iridescent quality. The doorframe itself was composed of the famous metal of her home world, Hielzen, and was adorned with a masterful framework depiction of a visage of the infamous Goddess of Wisdom.   
  
While the goddess was not as worshipped as Tsunami, the Tree of Beginnings, some Todianians still seemed to worship her nonetheless. Of course, she was just a myth, but yet Kagato still seemed to believe in her. He had long ago told Rei about his conjectures upon the religious structures of the mortal world. Kagato favored wisdom over all other human principles, so he found it natural to put his faith into the very avatar of that quality.   
  
Either way, the amazing vivid depiction of the goddess was awe-inspiring. However, beyond the beauty of the front gate, the residence was unassuming. It was shaped into the side of a cliff-face and hidden within an area full of other natural obstructions. In fact, the entrance was hidden between the cliff-face it adorned and another opposite cliff. To actually find his living area you would have to be the unluckiest person in the universe or given directions.   
  
Kagato came up behind her, a look of pride for the accomplishment plastered upon his pale face. "Wow… Just wow… You did all of this with just your will?" The genius couldn't help but enjoy her amazement, and answered her readily.   
  
"Yes, it's funny though. I never really thought there was much use for human resilience until now. Oh well; when the need for resourcefulness calls, the mind answers." Rei made her way over to the right pillar and gently placed her hands upon it.   
  
"This is just amazing… I always knew you had a taste for eccentric and ancient architectural designs, but I just can't believe the overall detail you put into your work." He came alongside his former student and smirked at something only he knew. "This is nothing though, allow me to show you something that will truly impress you." His right hand casually rose, and with slight wave of it the doors silently and slowly came apart.   
  
Rei thought she had seen it all, but she was wrong, dead wrong. She could only find herself puzzled by the fact that he had managed to create this entire structure with just his will alone. What she saw within the now open doorway was a clearly lit and very large laboratory.   
  
It had a bit of an ancient feel to it, with a marble floor and huge columns, but she could clearly see all of the equipment. Kagato noticed the dumbfounded look upon her face and but smiled slightly, "Go on in; remember… ladies first."   
  
She was definitely going to obey that command, her curiosity getting the better of her. But at least the idea for a laboratory built into a cliff seemed plausible, until she walked in.   
  
At that moment she noticed two things: one, there was no ceiling and the columns just stretched out into infinity, but she eventually lost sight of them within the darkness, and two, the pure size of the space of the lab was far too massive to fit inside the cliff. So Rei instantly knew that this was a pocket of artificial subspace that he designed and attached the entrance to at the doorway.   
  
Nonetheless, it was just incredible. He didn't have any physical tools in which to construct any of the features found within or outside of the lab, so it just came as a shock. Now she knew that he probably created the subspace pocket through the use of his holo-computer, but the rest was done from will alone.   
  
Her eyes wandered, and she noticed even more stunning designs spread all over the lab. A fountain from pre-Industrial Oku-II and an extravagant pool complete with Jurian fauna and a waterfall leading into it caught her attention most of all. She followed the river that the waterfall ran from throughout most of the lab, watching it recede into the darkness of the expansive subspace laboratory.   
  
Rei also noticed many antique sets of pottery and swords from all over the known universe. If there was any true safe-haven in Hell, then this was it. She barely noticed the doors shutting behind her as Kagato entered. She was so enamored with the vision before her, so how could she notice? Not that it mattered, mind you. After all, Kagato intended no harm to her; after all, he personally knew her and he just saved her.   
  
But she was startled when he asked of her opinion, "So, what do you think of it?" Of course, she didn't have an answer for him, how could she? "It's just… I don't know… I mean, I've never seen anything like this before." Her dumbfounded nature actually amused him, "Perhaps the word splendid or magnificent would be a good solution for your mind's current predicament." Rei just nodded and replied simply, "Yes…"   
  
Kagato made his way past her, as if his attention just turned from her to something else entirely. It took her a minute to notice this fact, but she did. "He… Hey! Where are you going?" He didn't even turn around to respond, "I have an experiment I wish to check on." She was finally snapped out of her current situation due to his actions, and so she started after him at a rather brisk pace. "I'm coming too then." A smile made its way onto his face, but she didn't see it. "Okay then, do try to keep up."   
  
By the time Kagato had reached his destination she had finally caught up with him. Before him stood a rather large machine that seemed to constantly produce a low hum. Her soft eyes caught hold of the schematics upon the machine's computer console and she mentally documented the information.   
  
"Ninety-seven percent complete… What is this Professor?" He barely turned to her as he answered her inquisition; his eyes too set upon the invention. "It's a device that can alter the physical properties of the astral body. Unfortunately I have been unable to cause any change in my body, thus the percentage you see now. There must be a glitch somewhere in the design…" Kagato muttered something incoherent.   
  
Rei caught a glint of frustration in his eyes from her side-view, and instantly understood. In fact, she startled Kagato by grabbing his right arm suddenly and just pulling the sleeve back. Normally he would have been insulted by such an action, but when he turned and saw the look in her eyes he just couldn't bring himself to anger.   
  
She just turned her soft, now melancholy, eyes down upon the empty space between his glove and sleeve. "I see… You are still cursed with this wretched non-corporeal energy body…"   
  
Kagato nodded, reaching down and gently prying her fingers from his arm. He then casually fixed his sleeve before responding, "Yes… This place truly is a realm of eternal damnation, consigning one to their prior body whether they like that fact or not. Death has offered no reprieve from the hell I had to endure during life." He turned away, not standing to see the look that her eyes held for him. "I'm sorry to hear that…" He instantly interrupted her sentence, "Don't be. This is my fate."  
  
"But this machine is proof that you are trying to resist fate." Kagato was silent for a minute, but he did answer her, his voice filled with scorn. "True, but I find that it is foolish now… I, the second best genius in the universe, can't even get this stupid machine to work. Perhaps destiny is stopping it from functioning properly, and therefore I truly am cursed." Rei found a contempt for his prior statement well up within her, and she responded vehemently, "Don't say that! Didn't you once tell us that we should never give up?!"  
  
The scientist sighed audibly, and decided it would be best to change the topic. His hands turned upon the console's keyboard, and he began to type a few commands into the machine. The words 'Error Unknown' appeared upon the screen, and he just brought up the design plans on the screen, visually examining them for any flaws. During this process he finally managed to say something to the waiting former student, "So, why are you here?"  
  
She found herself rather taken aback by his shift in conversational gears, but decided to respond anyway. "I was looking for you…" Kagato ever so slowly turned his eyes upon her once more, his gaze filled with an incredulous nature.   
  
"You consigned yourself to Hell just to see me? And I thought I was the foolish one…"   
Rei felt rather diminutive under the weight of his astonished gaze. "Not exactly… There are some things I did that I'm not especially proud of. But I wanted to see if the rumors about you were true with my own eyes."   
  
His crimson pupils dilated slightly, and he scrutinized her even further with his gaze. "And what do you think? Now that you've seen me…" Those terrifying eyes of his made her wish she could just hide, huddled off in some dark corner.   
  
But Rei would not believe the rumors, they couldn't be possible. After all, he had saved her, and had not shown this dark devouring nature that everyone told her he had assumed. In fact, if anything she thought that he was acting exactly as he did when she still studied under him.   
  
Even in the face of his unnatural eyes, she would not back down. "I believe that they are wrong… You are still the same man I knew so long ago. You aren't some bloodthirsty tyrant who relishes in the pain of others… You're still just… Kagato Akara…"   
  
Now it was Kagato's turn to become taken aback, as he had clearly not expected such an answer. Actually, he downright loathed the answer. His eyes flared with a hint of anger, but he did not physically respond.   
  
But she was not finished, "And… I also believe that you are not beyond redemption for the atrocious acts you committed." That statement proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.   
  
"Oh, I understand now… You're a Repentant, and you've come to see if you can redeem my soul. Perhaps you're thinking that if you help save me, then your own time of repentance will decrease." There was a hint of true aggravation hidden within his voice.  
  
Rei was quick to discredit him, "No! I don't care about how long I exile myself from heaven; I just feel the need to help you. I know there is a good man inside you, I'll never forget that fact. This has nothing to do with my own sins!"   
  
There was strain within the student's voice as she tried to get her point across. She was stubborn, and would not be denied. But Kagato wanted nothing to do with her offer. "I don't want your help…" And he silently mouthed 'nor do I need it…'  
  
"But…" And she was cut off in that moment, as Kagato imposed his presence upon her. His anger could not be held in check any longer, and it burst like an old dam trying to withstand the water-pressure during a monsoon. He nearly screamed; his usually calm, collected voice shuddering with fury.   
  
"Enough!" The sound reverberated throughout the air, echoing off into the endless expanse that was his laboratory. His right hand roughly grabbed a hold of her left wrist, and he turned around and pulled her towards some sort of pedestal, nearly wrenching her arm off in the process.   
  
"Let me show you something, the cold unforgiving truth of the matter!" She did not speak for once, and did not scream with the pain; Rei merely winced. Upon the pedestal were what could only be described as demonic skulls, trophies from the hunt, or at least something of the sort.  
  
He reached out with his free hand and grabbed a small semi-humanoid skull, turning back around and showing it to her, right up in her face. "Do you see this?! Do you know what it is? Well?"  
  
The look in his eyes was maddening, and for the first time ever, she was scared to be in his presence. A cold shiver ran up the length of her spine, and she shook her head very slowly. There was a look of terror within her eyes now, like that of a deer caught between two incoming cars.   
  
And he relished that look, finding it friendlier than that alien look she gave him beforehand. Oh how he would nourish it and enjoy the fruits of his labor, the taste of fear for her very existence. "No answer? Well, allow me to tell you exactly what it is!"  
  
"This is the skull of a Kyrithian demon, who are really quite a gentle, fragile, and peaceful species of demon. They mine in the Fields of Arothia, which by the way is two days journey east of here, for the precious metal deposits that are used to create the astral-rending weapons that the creatures in Enma's army use. They really want no part of Enma, and they curse his name below their breath. But they are too frail to disobey his orders, and so they silently skulk about the fields they are imprisoned to."  
  
"Not that that fact mattered to me. I was out exploring the regions around this place a few days back and stumbled across this little sucker here… I was curious about his anatomy; after all, I can never pass up the opportunity to study a new species. You should have seen how he begged to me to spare his miserable life; I took such pleasure in listening to the screams of his death throes. It was like a grand cacophony, music to my ears."   
  
There was real fear now embedded within her hazel orbs, and she shook violently. She tried to pry his vice-like grip from her wrist, but to no avail. "Yes, you see I enjoyed dissecting this small insignificant creature, while it was still alive mind you… I wasn't even generous enough to provide anesthesia. And that was just a way to pass the time. Now do you see how truly evil I have become?" Finally he let go of her wrist, and she fell back onto the floor.   
  
Was this his true face all along? Was I wrong? Those thoughts ran through Rei's frightened mind. She could not tear her gaze from him, his tall menacing form like a behemoth before her, readying to devour her lovely flesh, bones and all.   
  
She had never heard the unhinged quality of his current voice, and she frankly didn't want to hear it again. But Rei pushed the fear aside; she would not back down from him. She didn't ever back down to anyone at the academy, and she wasn't about to start now.   
  
To Kagato's utmost of surprise she pulled herself back into a standing position, a dignified nature wrapped about her as she did. She stared up into his eyes with her own, her gaze seemingly constructed of steel. He glared back at her in return, sensing her now challenging position in the whole affair. Her posture was cocky. He had to give it to her; she had guts. And when she spoke, her words had a firm quality in them.   
  
"No. I don't care what you've done, either back in the mortal coil or here in Hell. I still believe there is at least a trace of the man you once were within you." Kagato growled, a deep-throaty sound that had an almost animalistic attribute.   
  
He was not usually volatile, but she really seemed to have a knack for pissing him off. He clenched hard at the skull in his left hand, and it broke apart easily beneath his superhuman strength. Broken fragments scattered across the ground, and shards embedded themselves into the fabric of his glove.   
  
Rei wasn't even startled; she held her ground. He didn't even care about the pieces of bone protruding from his glove, it's not like he could feel anything in that region anymore. "That man… is dead… He died over five thousand years ago. All that is left is what you see before you now."   
  
Confidence was about her when she retorted his statement, "I see the broken shell of that man, but he is still there nonetheless." And now he actually did scream, getting right up into her face while doing it. "There is nothing left! Even the shell was burned away eons ago!"   
  
She acted quite the opposite, trying to stay calm and cool and collected against his verbal onslaught. "I disagree…" He could take no more, his feelings upon the matter flowing loose, and becoming fuel to the fire. "Don't you understand?! That man died! End of story! There is nothing left of him, nothing at all! I am what has emerged from his ashes, a dark phoenix. I am nothing but an evil bastard, no different from the demons that inhabit the realm outside my doors! In fact, I'd say I'm worse than they are! To them, I am the Grim Reaper!" He rose up in anger, his pale face reflecting its true gaunt nature.   
  
"And do you know why?! Because this is my destiny! Before I died, I had a moment of clarity. But was that enough? No! That was not enough to save my soul, and proved to me that I could never return to the man I once was! Don't you see?! I was not given the choice you had after death, I was instantly consigned to Hell! There is no redemption for me! If it has to be that way, if I am destined to this path, so be it! I will willingly tread upon darkness, because there is nothing else for me!"  
  
The rant was punctuated with the loud sound of harsh contact with flesh. Rei was thrown back, having been slapped roughly across her beautiful face. Kagato just stopped, his own self stunned at the action. Rei landed with a dull thud right upon her head, her body having twisted about midair since the force of the blow was so great.   
  
She coughed up crimson blood, crying out in excruciating pain. He just stood there, dumbfounded at the very fact that he lost himself so completely… that this was the end result…  
  
Rei wretched slightly, coughing up a bit more blood. Time seemed to grow still, her pain-filled eyes turning ever so slowly upon Kagato. Amongst the haze of pain however, she noticed his astonishment, and even a hint of shame within his eyes. And she knew that he had still somehow held back; had he not, she would not have a head at this moment. There was her hope, too bad it had to come at such a painful price.   
  
When she finally stopped, and ever so slowly pulled herself to her feet once again his voice sounded out, but this time filled with pain. "I.. I'm sorry…" She had already forgiven him, the shame she saw forced her to. Rei just nodded, drawing her right hand across her chin to wipe the blood away.   
  
He turned around, too ashamed with himself to even look upon her. "Listen… I… I'm really tired… Could you just please leave? My mind is a bit disoriented… I need some rest…"   
  
Rei didn't answer, but she did have something she needed to ask him. "Kagato… just one more thing… What caused that man to die?" He sighed once more, and started to walk off. But before, just before, he disappeared into one of the darker recesses of his lab, he responded. "Oh… sanity… or lack therefore of." And with those words he was gone, and she was left all alone.   
  
{**********}  
  
Yumi Komagata wore a worrisome look upon her brow. Behind her strode Shishio's right hand man, Houji Sadojima. And in the front was her lord, Makoto Shishio. All three of them were traveling towards an impending destination. Such a cruel word, destination, since it sounded so much like the mostly despised word, destiny.   
  
Human beings hated the very mention of fate, since they were free spirits, and wanted to be free to choose their own paths. True that most fought against it, but then again, some freely walked upon a pre-set road.   
  
Perhaps that was what the three were doing, walking alongside of destiny. But Yumi couldn't help but be worried. While Houji was ecstatic that his lord would have a chance to prove himself in battle, Yumi was much the opposite. She felt frustrated, for the first time in a long time. That same fear that Enma presented permeated her being. Except perhaps they went to face a challenge greater than even the ruler of Hell.   
  
A god… While she had always believed in the strength of her love, the very thought of him facing a true god was frightening. And she knew that in the coming battle, she would be of no use. Before the power of higher being, she could do nothing.   
  
Only her lord, Shishio, stood a chance. Still, she was afraid. Makoto was the strongest man she had ever known, but in the face of unimaginable power, could he even put up a fight?  
  
Yumi wondered why Enma hadn't personally dealt with this man, this Kagato Akara. Perhaps the ruler of Hell was truly afraid. Perhaps this Kagato was more powerful than the fallen god.   
  
It was all speculation however. Maybe she had nothing to worry about; that was the only comfort. Nothing was known about Akara, only his location and a skewed description of his physical features.   
  
He sounded frightening. The living demons, very few mind you, who had managed to survive an encounter with him, albeit wounded, had differing perspectives. Some had said he was a giant of a man while others noted that he was only slightly tall yet he flew upon the chill Hell-borne winds. Many had said that he had a mangy look about him, with dirty-ragged robes and unmanageable hair that flared amongst the air, while others contradictorily stated that he was a well-manicured gentleman.   
  
Whatever the case, all statements of two features were the same. Yumi remembered the words of Fenrir quite closely, "Skin as pale as Death himself, and unmarred, as if a statue newly carved. And his eyes, they are like that of a snake's. His pupils are slit and crimson in tint, a red as rich as flowing blood. But they are outlined by eyes of a chalky yellow color, not the usual white. The demons who survived have stated that their presence chills to the bone."   
  
Yumi did not want to even be in the presence of such an unpleasant sounding fellow. And she did not want to be under the crushing gaze of a god, being dissected by eyes filled with a general contempt for her existence. But she had chosen to go with her lord to confront Akara.   
  
It was her duty to stand by Shishio's side at all times, to offer her support and her love. And of course she knew the second that Shishio accepted that Fenrir's, who she thought was clearly a despicable ingrate of a man, proposal that Houji would want to come along as well.   
  
Houji showed as much loyalty to Shishio as Yumi, if not more so. While Yumi loved Shishio, Houji admired him. The second Houji the Knowledged had found a master worthy of his skills, he had quickly signed on. Sadojima's loyalty ran deep, in such a manner that he would never betray his lord. And while Yumi didn't always get along with him, she still respected him.   
  
So there she was, wearily traversing whole dozens of kilometers with her lord and his faithful follower in order to reach the abode of a god. Shishio didn't want, nor need, help, so his army remained at Darnas Irio. Usui had been placed into solitary confinement in the torture chambers of the fortress. That was the blind warrior's punishment for attacking his better.   
  
Shishio had thought that perhaps it would do the fool some good. Yumi almost laughed out loud at the fact that Usui thought he would be given charge of the fort during Shishio's leave. Well, his bubble was burst when Shishio personally tossed him right onto his derriere, right into the blood-reeking dungeons. A lower commander whose name she did not know was given the honor of being in charge of the fortress while they were gone. Yumi bet that stung Usui's pride.   
  
However, the reality of the current situation stunted her amusement of the fool as she almost tripped upon one of the countless ill-placed bones that cluttered the realm. She managed to remain in her dignified composure though, so that Shishio and Houji didn't notice. Her mind shifted back to the matter at hand. They had been walking for nearly three days, in Earth standard time thanks to her trusty pocket watch, and she knew that they were close.   
  
They had been taking roads less traveled by the demon race, and so they were not accosted by any stray beasts. Currently they were making their way within a steep canyon, darkness obstructing vision for the most part. Yumi remembered Fenrir stating that once the land became less friendly to travelers then they would be almost there.   
  
So she speculated that they only had a few more hours to go. Her soft eyes turned to her lord, yet she could only see his back. Yumi sighed, wishing they were going to face Himura the Battousai again, rather than some unknown god.   
  
There was a grim expression set upon Makoto Shishio's face, but for the first time since his battle with Kenshin he felt true excitement. His blood coursed through his veins like a wildfire, his heart pounding. Shishio too knew that they were close to the end of their destination, and that excited him to no end. Unlike Yumi, he was confident that he would win. Kagato Akara, he thought, provide me with a true challenge…  
  
{**********}  
  
[Nirvana – Come as You Are]  
  
The so-called 'god' in question was busy slumbering, having no idea of the approaching challenger. Kagato stirred in his sleep, causing the sheet below him to pull free from the mattress. He was within a lavish room that's only entrance was hidden within the far-reaches of his lab.   
  
It was displaced, floating in midair near a collection of various long-range energy weapons. The door first opened into a walkway where the edges spilled out into eternity, an imposing sight, and then finally led into the room.   
  
The scientist was surrounded by darkness as he slept; not even the primitive antique lamp by his beside was lit. But he was not the only person in the room, there was another being sitting by the bedside, just waiting. Kagato once again turned about, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. He immediately noticed the other presence, but wasn't worried, only slightly exasperated.   
  
He reached up and wiped the crust from his eyes, speaking softly to his watcher, "Rei, I thought I told you to leave…" There was a hint of aggravation in his voice. The young Yatsukian girl smiled in a rather guilty manner. "Sorry sir… But I came all this way to see you, and I really don't have anywhere else to go."   
  
Kagato sighed heavily, but did not yet respond. "Lights on." With that simple command the bedside lamp flared alive with a powerful brilliance, illuminating the whole room.   
  
The scientist drew his body into a sitting position against the headboard and reached over to the small cabinet on the other side of his bed. After some fumbling, since his eyes had not yet adjusted to the light, he opened it and produced something from within. Kagato gently placed his pair of pince-nez upon the bridge of his nose. Rei giggled softly in spite of herself.   
  
Kagato turned his attention to her, mock irritation shining within his eyes. "Just what is so funny?" The tan girl pointed directly at his nose with her right hand as she spoke, an amused tone set into her voice, "You're always wearing those. They're cute." The scientist was taken aback by the unorthodox response, and was rather defensive in reply. "Cute?! My dear, these pince-nez are stylish, definitely not cute. My mother wore a pair of them, and so do I."   
  
"They're still cute." She pouted and childishly stuck her tongue out at him. He raised an eyebrow at her adolescent nature, but decided not to argue with her anymore. He did however have something to say to her about her prior statement of not having anywhere else to go.   
  
He pushed his back more against the headboard, resting since he wasn't yet completely awake. The back of his head leaned upon Jurian wood, and he stared towards the ceiling as he talked.   
  
"Anywhere is better than here… Rei Karai, I always thought you were the smartest and most sensible in my class, but it seems you have proven me wrong. It is foolish to try to stay with, and even more so, act so friendly with a devil such as I. Perhaps death has dulled your mind?"   
  
She shook her head and smiled in return, "No. I just feel familiar, and even safe, in your presence. Back in the academy you were always my friend besides being my teacher. And no matter who you are now, that hasn't changed."  
  
His gaze turned downward, as if once more ashamed to be around her. "I don't need any friends, they are just fleeting sentiments. Unimportant…" Rei crossed her arms defiantly, her face upturned in a snobbish gesture. But her voice was anything but snobby, more like disappointed. " Well it doesn't matter. Important or not, you're gonna have one." Kagato had to say, he admired her tenacity; she didn't ever back down.   
  
But it would be best to test that theory. He turned his menacing eyes upon her, his voice dark and ominous, " You know… I could just kill you… And then I won't have to worry about you at all…"   
  
She gulped, but passed his test. "You wouldn't dare." He laughed in light of her resolve, and his tone was softer with his response. "No, I wouldn't. But the look on your face when I said it was amusing, I have to admit."   
  
Once more Rei pouted, "Oh you…" Silence filled the air after that last statement, since there really wasn't much to talk about. He went back to leaning against the headboard, deep in thought. Perhaps having someone around wouldn't be so bad; it gets lonely after all.   
  
And he did know her quite well, and even now, under his new guise, he still remembered some rather embarrassing times at the local bars with general fondness. Todain had a large assortment of pubs for after-school hours, and it was traditional for a teacher to go out drinking with the students at least once a month.   
  
Kagato remembered going out more than that, since it was fun; although, the hammered feeling in the morning wasn't so great. Too bad those times vanished once he lost his body. After all, the point of getting completely drunk kind of became mute when he couldn't imbibe liquids.   
  
But still, at least the memory remained. Rei was his prize student, a real genius when it came to energy manipulation and time/space equations. She wasn't so good with genetics, but hey, nobody's perfect.   
  
Rei even became his personal assistant during class hours once she had graduated, opting for a wage from the Todainian administration instead of going off for bigger and better things. But all the thinking about the past started to make him feel awkward, well that and her constant stare.   
  
Kagato was feeling nostalgic for once. The alien thought that maybe he would enjoy her company entered his mind. He took a quick peek towards her way before returning his eyes to the ceiling.   
  
His mind wandered to their intense conversation before his rest, and shame struck at his conscience. He felt that he at least owed her some kind of explanation. But he couldn't tell her everything, since his mind was still so deluded that it felt a certain perverse justification for his actions. Willingly accept everything and learn nothing, he remembered that quote but forced it from his mind. An idea formed, and he decided to finally break the silence.   
  
"You know… I suppose that from the very beginning I was destined to side with the darkness. I seem to remember an old saying, everyone is born guilty. They say that there are those who are able to break away from the penalty of birth, but that is rare. It is because of some injustice against God you see; they say that the sentient beings of the universe angered him somehow. And so as punishment, every creature born is already burdened with sin. It's a cruel fate."  
  
Rei was completely and utterly silent, her attention drawn to his words as if a moth to the flame. She had remembered hearing about that once, from some religious fanatic back at the academy.   
  
Funny how one would forget such words until they were thrown back into your face. But then again, she never had such conviction for religion, until she landed in Hell that is.  
  
Rei believed that the man who told her was Jurian, especially since they were closely in tune with high-dimensional life forms and the many variations of religion across the universe. Although most of them worshipped his daughter Tsunami, some still kept a profound belief in God himself.   
  
But that didn't matter now, only the words of the man before her had any draw in her mind. Everyone at the academy used to say that Kagato's voice had a magnetic presence about itself, for it was rich and flowed flawlessly from his lips as if a fine wine.   
  
That fact was very apparent whenever he spoke, and she found herself enamored within his emotional speech. "But even crueler is my own. I was not 'born' as you were. My very existence was a construction, my true birth metaphysical; it occurred within the mind of one Naja Akara. I guess it would be appropriate to call her my mother, since she did create me. But we never spent much time together, so I don't believe I considered her a parent."   
  
"I never learned the reason why she created me, beyond the fact that I was an experiment used to test the limits of man's ability to create life. I was also a construct used to study the true power of the Massu when combined genetically with other organisms. My very existence began within a test-tube… It was forged using just two key ingredients, Naja's ovum and a DNA sample from the Massu… I was a bastard from the start, a fatherless child…"   
  
There was a bitter pain in his voice, and Rei wondered if he even knew that he let it surface. He was always so calm and collected, in control of his emotions for the most part.   
  
For once, hearing that pain, Rei just wanted to reach over and hug him. But she stayed where she was, not daring to do such a thing. "One thing that always puzzled me is the fact that I was born in an adolescent stage still, as a child instead of some creation for the purpose of scientific study."  
  
"One thing I do know… For all of the reasons why she created me, both openly and secretly, she never treated me like an experiment. I know one thing; she did love me, for whatever reason. Perhaps she was lonely, I remember Washu being her only friend. And perhaps, just maybe, I could have loved her as a true mother… But it was not to be… I was still a young child when she left me, and although I was physically strong, I was mentally weak at that stage… A frail and tender boy…"   
  
"You see, Naja was surveying an old Jurian archeological site when her group was attacked by space pirates. They all died, just so that the pirates could get their filthy hands around a small collection of broken artifacts… They never found her body among the massacre, but the officials said it was safe to assume that she was dead. I doubted for such a long time, telling myself that she was going to come back and take care of me. Even when Washu came and took me to live with her, I still doubted her death."   
  
"You know… I really don't know why I'm telling you this… I've never told anyone but Yakage… it's funny…" Kagato laughed softly in spite of himself. His voice seemed to be wavering, and it was choked. He seemed to be growing mentally unstable with each step into his past, but Rei could not bring herself to intervene. She never even tried to give him an answer, because there were none suitable for his current state of reasoning.   
  
"I… I never did see Washu as a mother either. But for once in my life, I did find love in someone. The illusion that Naja might still be alive faded over time. Washu was everything to me; she took care of me when I was the most vulnerable. I had a feeling that she raised me because of the fact that she felt a momentary reprieve from the pain of losing her child Mikumo. But ,you know, I didn't care. The time I spent growing up was when I learned real happiness for the first time. I felt for once as if I was a true human being."  
  
"And as the years quickly passed by, in an endless torrent, my love for Washu grew even stronger. Over the years I passed underneath her tutelage I grew to become almost as smart and quick-witted as she was. I wanted to be her equal, so that she could love me in the manner that I felt for her. And when I reached adult-hood, and graduated, I quickly accepted an offer to become her assistant and a teacher at the academy, because I did not want to leave her."  
  
"As I have mentioned before, I never saw Washu as a parental figure, because she was not of my blood. I could see through her façade, the childish domineer and form that she always wore was a mask. I had known that fact for a long time. I knew she was constantly in pain, and I wanted to heal her wounds so badly. My love for her had grown to the point where it was not as a child for his mentor, but as a man for a woman."  
  
"In the very year I became her assistant I professed my undying, unalterable devotion to her. She was quite clearly taken aback at first, and she had to think about it. But soon, when I wrapped my arms around her, and unconsciously forced her to tear away her façade and reveal her true form, she became mine. In one night of clear, pure passion and unbridled love I made her pain simply vanish. And from that point on, I discovered the joys of true love."   
  
Rei's heart was beating loudly in her chest; she had known that Kagato loved Washu, but never knew how deeply until now. It was the most romantic thing she had ever heard in her entire existence.   
  
But she knew where this story was going, and almost audibly sighed. "Things were going well for me in that point of my life. I even met my first real friend in the form of Washu's second assistant, a Jurian called Yakage."   
  
"I remember that all three of us were inseparable at one point, three beings brought together by their common interests. I felt at peace with myself, and with my own existence, for the first time ever at that point. Not just because of Washu's love for me, but also because of the intense and spiritual training regiment that Yakage forced me through. He was a master swordsman, and because of the Massu properties and powers within me he found me to be a grand pupil for him to teach."   
  
"I learned discipline and inner-peace through his training, and also I found my own other enjoyable pastime beyond science, swordsmanship. Heh, I think he became slightly frustrated when I finally surpassed him. But it didn't matter really, he was proud of me, his best friend and prize student. I remember meeting you shortly thereafter, when you too were but a kid." Rei smiled, remembering that encounter as well.   
  
"And you quickly became my prize student, so I sympathized very well with Yakage. He used to tease me after that, telling me that, 'now I knew how it felt.' While you really never managed to surpass me I still felt such pride at having you as a student. I had a great love, a best friend, and an incredible student; I felt my life was complete. And finally I came to terms with the circumstances of my birth. But fate is cruel; what it gives, it can, and will take away."   
  
Rei felt her heart drop at that very moment, she knew exactly what he was going to say next. "That accident… That failed, *cursed* experiment that left my body decimated and not wholly there." There was an intense hatred in his voice, and also pain, unimaginable pain. "We were studying the affects of a contained super-nova within a microscopic subspace-galaxy."  
  
"And foolishly we had let our younger students set the experiment up, thought it would be good experience for them. I was up late that night, since a breakthrough was occurring while everyone else slept. Thank God I was alone… or else Washu or Yakage would have suffered the same fate…"   
  
The words seemed strange in his voice, especially in this place. To thank, or even speak the name of God was taboo in this realm. A broken soul once told Rei that God had no place in Hell, that he had abandoned them.   
  
Kagato's voice turned even more bitter, and darker as he began to recount the accident in clear detail. "I remember trying frantically to fix the tear in the containment unit before the star went nova. Those fools had not properly set the container up, and I was the one to pay the price for that mistake. I didn't make it in time, the star went nova and the unit shattered. The universe expanded all around me, and there was no air…"   
  
"It was a good thing that I didn't need to breathe, and even better still that the lab itself was contained within subspace. The explosion of the super nova itself was not what sealed my fate, but the shock wave that followed. The head-on impact was too much for my frail human body, and it ripped me asunder." Kagato shuddered and winced, as if still in pain from experiencing that event.   
  
"I was sent hurtling back through space, the entire lower half of my body gone and the rest hanging dangerously loose. I couldn't move; I just floated. I was dying; I knew it. I only hoped that it would soon be over. But since my life force was very resilient due to the Massu influence, I was subjected to torture instead. Unimaginable pain searing through my very innards. And it got even worse; the nova began to implode. Although far away from the eye of the storm, I was dragged in, chunks of weak flesh ripping loose from my torn and ragged body."  
  
"There was nothing I could do, I was going to be drawn into the center of a dying star and incinerated once it exploded outward again. I felt helpless, and the last conscious thought that passed through my mind was of Washu, of never being with her ever again…" He clutched at his chest, as if feeling a stinging pain inside. But clearly he was not, and if there were, it was just a reminiscent surge of emotion, not an actual feeling.  
  
"But suddenly I saw it… It was her, Washu… She was a goddess, and around her were the three gems, radiating a fiery crimson light. I felt the presence of something good and wholesome wrap around me, and I felt safe. I remember nothing more past that." He closed his eyes and breathed sharply in, as if simulating his state of unconsciousness at the time of the incident.   
  
"I drifted in and out of reality, of consciousness. I remember flashes of light, fleeting visions, and small words of encouragement. But of all the things, I only know of one with the utmost of clarity. I heard, to the greatest horror of my life, 'For whatever reason, his body isn't healing. His abilities of regeneration should be working, but they must have been damaged somehow.' I knew in that moment that I would never return to my normal life."  
  
"True that they managed to save me, but at a costly price. When I came to, I felt nothing. I found it odd at first, until I noticed this abomination." He tugged unconsciously at his sleeve, revealing the nothingness that comprises his energy body. "They couldn't save my physical body, but they could keep my mind alive. Everything from shoulders on down they had to recreate using a contained form of non-corporeal energy."  
  
"I found in that moment that destiny was truly against me. My happiness could not be allowed; it wasn't good enough for fate's whim. I couldn't touch anything, couldn't feel anything; my body passed through matter as if I was a specter. I managed to create garments able to house and give physical form to my body through the act of matter manipulation, but no feeling is ingrained within them." Kagato's right gloved-hand ran along the length of his left arm, brushing across the fabric.  
  
And then the unthinkable happened, a tear ran down the length of his right cheek, falling off and splattering silently upon his chest. Rei didn't even know if he noticed it, so mentally within the act of explanation, and the memory, was he.   
  
"I… I… I couldn't hold her anymore. We still felt strongly for each other, but I couldn't express my love through physical means. I missed her warmth, and I suppose that is why my mind began to take an unstable path."  
  
Kagato turned his attention to Rei, his sorrow-filled eyes opening and centering right upon her. She felt all of his pain, all of his sadness, while underneath his gaze. His voice was broken, "You know… from experience… That it took a long time…"   
  
"And I fought back against it ruthlessly, against the madness that consumed me… I was able to do so much during those years, including a study of my then fascination, the three gems. I thought they would be able to help me manage to reclaim my body. I wanted so much, so much that I couldn't have."   
  
"I even had a daughter *created* much in the same manner as me. I couldn't bear children, and Washu wanted an offspring that she could call her own so badly. A sample of my blood was used, so she was mine, though I now doubt that Washu will ever tell her. When I finally broke down, Ryoko became subject to the same misfortunes of my life."   
  
"Fate denied both me, and my daughter, normal lives. To my undying shame she became a tool for my purposes. Though at first, I quested to find enough power to give back what was taken from me, my intentions soon became twisted by madness. It's ironic, that I would become the same thing that killed my creator, a pirate."   
  
"Either way, I find it is useless to go against fate. That is why I have willingly laid my very existence down before it. If I am to be of the darkness, then it shall remain so. Do you finally understand now, Rei Karai?"  
  
There was no resolve in that voice, it was troubled and full of all the pain of his life prior to death. My God, thought Rei, I never knew… She understood then, and nodded ever so slowly.   
  
To be given a life of happiness and then suddenly seeing it slip away forever, that was true pain. She had never experienced such a thing, nor would she want to. Rei could not ever even imagine what it was like to be him, but still she understood.   
  
And more than ever now, she knew she had to try to save him. It didn't matter if he didn't want to be saved, if he was content with his station in the universe. She just felt that for her soul to ever be free from burden, for her heart to be at peace, she had to see to it that her friend, her mentor, gained his own form of redemption.   
  
Once again he spoke, his final say in the matter, "So I find that I was indeed guilty of sin from birth, and my unfortunate life and where I am now proves that fact. As much as I wish otherwise, I can't change the past. I felt the need to explain to you at least in part why I have chosen to stay evil. I hope that the explanation is sufficient."   
  
Her answer was simple, "Yes." At least for now, she thought. Her resolve couldn't allow her to let this be crushing blow on her quest to save his soul, but just a temporary setback. She would not, and could not, give up. But for now she would retreat from the matter, and try to make her way closer to his heart. Once she got closer to him, she would try again.   
  
His next question startled her from her thoughts, "So, even knowing what I am, do you still wish to stay and be a friend to me?" She strongly nodded and once again answered with the short reply of, "Yes." His mood seemed to instantly shift from its prior condition, and he smirked. "Fine. Then so be it."  
  
Rei smiled, but also took note of the fact Kagato had the uncanny ability to instantly change his disposition to an emotionless or amused state despite raging emotions beforehand. It was just a part of him that always surfaced when he was in danger of becoming too unstable mentally.   
  
She had seen it once before in the past, and was actually amazed that he had managed to winter the storm of his hidden angst long enough to explain his past.  
  
She was glad that he did though. All the pain and momentary joy that she had seen within him, she too experienced it during that moment. And she knew, as much as he wished he could be completely emotionless, it was not to be so. That was his one weakness in his resolve to stay with the darkness, his emotions. While they were usually hidden, she was sure she could somehow crack his defenses.   
  
Rei just hoped that it wasn't really too late. Either way, being around him on a permanent basis now will give her the time to discover another weakness and formulate a plan of attack. She knew that she would just have to try to enjoy his presence until that time. As she was thinking he slowly drew himself from the bed, his body now towering over her.  
  
Kagato actually smiled down at her, and she turned her gaze questionably upon him. When he finally spoke there was a relieved, possibly, happy tone in his voice. She supposed that it might have been good for him to get all of those bottled emotions off of his chest. "Well then, get on up Little Rei." For an instant, a look of interest flashed through her eyes.  
  
Rei actually smiled after she heard the once oh-so-familiar nickname that he used to use for her. She remembered the day she first received the name, after she heard Washu complain about being called 'Little Washu.' She found it incredibly cute, and decided to emulate it.   
  
After all, she was short and cute, so it fit. Rei almost laughed when she remembered the time when she finally managed to force Kagato to call her that.   
  
It had been a funny time, and the nickname just stuck in Kagato's mind. She just received yet another strand of hope, and that made her happy. Kagato offered his right hand, being the usual gentleman that he was. Rei gently took it, and stood up from her chair.   
  
"What are we going to do Sir?" He grinned, noting the fact that she called him Sir once again, perhaps in response to his invocation of her nickname.   
  
"Simple my dear Rei, we're going to work." She nodded, smiling as she does. "Very well, Kagato." And he turned, letting go of her hand as he makes his way to the door. He turns the old-fashioned doorknob and pulls it open, standing aside and motioning for her to go through first.   
  
She took his offer and made her way through, giving him a cheerful glance as she passes. "And anyway, I'm glad that you've decided to stay actually. I wouldn't mind the help." He added that with a wry smile, following her and shutting the door behind him.   
  
{**********}  
  
Houji couldn't believe his eyes. His lord and he had been traveling within a narrow ravine for several hours now. And for the last past hour of their journey the cliffs intersected at the top, forming a roof above their heads and blocking out light.   
  
They had been traveling in darkness, and then finally, the bluish dim light of Hell shined through. Upon the return of light, they had also stumbled across the god's home.  
  
Upon first inspection, it looked more like a shrine than a house. Sadojima had never seen any of the designs used upon the front entrance of the abode anywhere, especially not the organic columns and the iridescent metallic doorway with the feminine sculpture carved into it.   
  
Everything before him was alien, but definitely beautiful. There was one thing that the despicable Fenrir was right about though; this place was completely hidden.   
  
Houji's gaze turned to his lord, who just stood there silent with an intense look of concentration within his eyes. It was as if Shishio was staring fate in the eyes and waiting for it to make the first move. And behind him was Yumi, the worried look in her soft amethyst eyes apparent. They were both silent though, and made no movement of approach towards the entrance.   
  
At first Houji wondered why, but upon further inspection of the doorway he noticed that it had no grooves or knobs of any kind attached to it. There was probably only one way to open the doors, through the hands of the owner himself. So then, they were waiting for that very owner to sense them and appear. That, after all, was the logical course of events.   
  
Finally, Yumi broke the silence. "Lord Shishio, just how long will we have to wait?" He closed his eyes, deep in thought. "I'm not sure, but hopefully it will be soon." Houji decided to voice his own opinion on the matter, "I'm fairly certain that it won't be such a long wait my lord. If this man truly is a god, then our presence will quickly be known to him."   
  
Shishio snickered softly, so low that Houji almost did not hear it. "Perhaps, that is… If he's even home." Houji almost faltered in his stance, having been caught off guard by such a comment. After all, he was so wrapped up in the moment that he forgot about such a coincidence being possible. It was Yumi who made her thoughts known upon the matter at hand this time. "Well, we'll just have to sit around and wait, and hope for the best."   
  
"True." Shishio noticed a certain object out of the right corner of his currently lavender eyes, and turned around to see a nice large stone. It was of the perfect shape for sitting upon, and so he walked slowly over that way.   
  
When he reached the stone he turned about and casually sat upon it, restlessly shifting a bit in order to find a comfortable position. Finally, he managed to find the perfect position, lounging back and waiting.   
  
The hitokiri exerted his willpower, and in his right hand formed a nice finely carved pipe. He held out his other hand as a small sake cup appeared within the palm. Yumi turned and smiled, making her way over. She too performed an exercise in will, creating a jar of sake, holding it within her delicate hands. Shishio stared a hole right into the pipe in his hand, and the herb inside just suddenly caught aflame.   
  
He delicately brought the pipe to his lips and took a nice drag from it. His upper body leaned back a bit, his eyes closing as he drew the pipe back and blew the smoke from his mouth. He held out the sake cup in waiting, and Yumi approached. She tipped the jug, pouring a nice stream of rich sake into the small bowl-like cup.   
  
Shishio smiled, his eyes still closed as he remained deep in concentration, his thoughts centered upon the upcoming battle even though he was relaxing at the current moment. He brought the cup to his lips and tilted it back, taking a small sip of the fine rice wine. He pulled the cup from his mouth, extruding a low moan of satisfaction past now closed lips.   
  
During that time Yumi had decided to get cozier, coming up alongside Shishio and pulling herself onto the rock with him. She sat at his left side, gently draping her body across his own. He smiled softly as she leaned into him, always enjoying her company. He took yet another sip from his sake and then a smoke from his pipe before leaning his head languidly upon Yumi's left shoulder.   
  
While they relaxed, Houji just stood there deep in thought. As he watched he smiled, enjoying the fact that his lord seemed to be enjoying himself so even ere an intense battle. When Lord Shishio was happy, Houji Sadojima was joyous as well. That was just the way it went. They both seemed peaceful now, and Yumi looked as if she had forgotten about the impending danger.   
  
And yet, Houji couldn't help but wonder what was running through his lord's mind. He knew that whatever the reasoning, it was fueled by fire, an intense constant heat. Houji had learned that on the day he was baptized into the Religion of Chaos, by the very Fires of Hell that burned hotly within Shisho's own body.   
He was reminded of the confusion he had felt when he had learned that his lord had so easily accepted the conditions of the enemy.   
  
It was odd; Shishio had to have something up his sleeve. But perhaps it was the strength of the coming enemy that intrigued his lord so. Houji remembered asking Shishio once, at the very beginning of their war in Hell, of the reason why he fought against Enma. It was odd, since this place was already Hell; chaos already plagued its landscape.   
  
There was no need to conquer this land to instill a regime of total chaos, since it already existed in this realm. Houji had been surprised when he had heard his lord's reply. For Shishio, it wasn't really about ruling this domain, but for a much more personal reason. Houji knew that by the Law of Nature that his lord followed, the winner of a fight had the correct beliefs.   
  
It seems that since Makoto 'lost' in his battle against the Battousai that he started lacking in faith. Houji thought that the fact was absurd, since he never considered the combustion of his lord a loss. But Shishio stated that under the terms of that battle, the one who survived was the winner. So his lord started to doubt the strength of his beliefs.   
  
He told Houji that his conviction was flawed, and that he had given thought to the structure of peace and equality as ideals. So this is why Shishio traveled so far in order to fight such a strong enemy, to prove his belief structure, the Religion of Chaos. Houji knew that had to be it, if Shishio proved himself against someone equal or greater in battle, then his religious convictions were correct.   
  
That was why Shishio was gunning for Enma, ruling Hell was always secondary. To prove his absolute strength and his ideals to the universe, that was what Shishio wished to accomplish. But the appearance of this man, Kagato Akara, had changed the scenario. Proving himself against a true god is what Shishio needed to do, a first step in his conquest.   
  
And in that aspect, Houji perfectly understood the reasoning of his lord. The need for balance, inner peace, was the driving factor. Makoto Shishio was always a complex man, but Houji always knew the inner workings of his lord. None of them were normal, which is how they had survived for so long. One thing was for sure, they fit in Hell. In fact, an anarchist such as Shishio thrived in the realm.   
  
Houji found it only natural that Shishio would be the only qualified person to rule an accursed place such as Hell. Enma would eventually fall from his throne, but first, this Kagato Akara must be conquered. That was the matter at hand, and therefore needed complete and undivided intention. Houji knew that his lord's attention was in such a shape.   
  
The first step in Shishio's reign would be the defeat of Akara, and then all the demons would suffer underneath his wrath. Shishio, after all, was at the top of the food chain. And so Houji was confident that his lord would pass this stage in his plan, and beat Kagato. Until that time, they could go no further.   
  
Shishio smirked slightly as he waited for the arrival of his opponent. He noticed the troubled look upon Houji's face from afar, knowing that the man was thinking hard upon an issue. But he didn't care, he had more pressing matters to attend to. And so he simply waited, basking in the attention of his love and sipping of fine sake.   
  
{**********}  
  
"So, all you need is a power source?" Rei stared with amazement at her mentor, taking a mental note to one-day test the extent of his knowledge. A wry grin was upon his lips as he responded, "Yes, I know the exact algorithms of the energy pattern. I only need a source powerful enough in order to create the Wings of the Light Hawk."   
  
She just couldn't believe what she was hearing, but it was all there. Right in front of her eyes, on a holographic display, was the exact pattern that the Light Hawk Wings were composed of. He had it all documented, right down to the minutest of variation in the wavelength.   
  
To say that she was in awe was an understatement. "Wait a minute… You're telling me that you managed to study and document all the information on the inner-workings of the greatest power in the entire universe in just the split-second that it made contact with you?!"  
  
Kagato grinned a bit wider, noting the high amount of disbelief in her voice. Confidence was about his voice as he responded, "Exactly." Rei was awash with disbelief, but the proof was there. She could not deny the calculations and diagrams in front of her very eyes. "But… Where would such a source exist?"   
The grin that was set upon Kagato's face vanished, and he took upon a serious expression.   
  
"That is the only problem, it doesn't. At least not here in Hell that is." She knew he was disappointed, because after hearing that so was she. To think, if they just had the right source of energy, the secret in the creation of the Light Hawk Wings could finally be unlocked. She wondered something, and readily asked him of it. "But where can it be found? Do you know?"  
  
Confidence once again became ingrained within his voice, "Hah! Of course I do! You see, only a high dimensional life form can invoke the amount of sheer power in order to form the Wings. The trees of Jurai are able to use them due to the fact they are imbued with the power of Tsunami. That is also the reason that boy was able to do it."   
  
"So, in order to unlock the power, we'd have to find a god or goddess willing to freely give away such a large amount of pure energy?" Kagato nodded in response, and punctuated it with his voice, "Indeed my dear student, but there are no such deities here." Rei was disappointed as well, she really wanted to see Kagato claim the power; the thought of all that could be learned from them excited her.   
  
"But…" Rei's interest suddenly piqued, hearing the magic word that was always used when there was a small ray of hope in a situation. "There is a substitution that can be used in the place of a deity's power." Her eyes widened, and her voice became higher in excitement. "What kind of substitution?!" Kagato let a slight smile grace his lips in light of her excited nature.   
  
"Why it's simple my dear, the greatest force in the universe is capable of being formed through… sheer willpower…" If Rei was holding something at that moment, she would have dropped it. That statement definitely came as a surprise. "Will?!" And it also seemed the more excitable she became, the calmer Kagato became.   
  
"Yes, remember. This realm operates on the force of human resilience. I know that fact is odd, but it is the truth. Anything, even energy, can be created if one knows the inner-workings of its design well enough."  
Rei hadn't thought about that before, it was an interesting theory. "So you can create the Wings of the Light Hawk with just your willpower alone?"   
  
Kagato retained his calm demeanor as he spoke, "Yes, but it will take a large amount of will in order to invoke them. After that I must infuse my soul with the power, so that it becomes an extension therefore of. You see, the more powerful an object or energy created through will, the harder it is to summon. But, have you ever noticed how a warrior comes into Hell with his sword in hand?"   
  
She wasn't quite sure where he was going with his words, but she nodded, knowing full well of such occurrences. "Well then, you see. A weapon is merely an extension of the warrior's soul, and therefore is created instantly upon entrance into this realm, almost as if it were mandatory. Personal possessions and clothing are retained in the same manner."  
  
"All of these things are objects that made a lasting impact, and are joined with their bearer's soul. If I could manage to gather enough will to invoke the Wings, I could fuse them with my soul and make them my personal weapon." Rei understood the point he was trying to make, and she smiled. "I see. But I have one question. Your powers, have you maintained them in the same way?"  
  
He was impressed by her keen powers of observation, "That is a good question. I'm glad you asked it. But the answer is no. You see, any powers or physical abilities one held in life stays with the soul, regardless of will." Rei was impressed at the complexity of the physics system that Hell had, marveled at the ingenious structure.   
  
"So… Have you actually summoned the Wings yet then?" She was just curious, after hearing the explanation it sounded as if he had done it already. Unfortunately his answer was not to her liking, "No. The high amount of willpower will take days of concentration in order to emit, or… I'd have to be under a huge amount of duress. So it will be a few days before I can test my theories."   
  
She pouted slightly, wanting him to hurry up and create them. And she decided it would be best to pressure him to start right at this moment. "Well?! What are you… waiting… for…" But she was cut off, the feeling of an immense aura permeating the air around them. Someone was there, at the entrance to the laboratory. Normally someone wouldn't be able to feel an aura, but her Yatsukian senses were highly attuned to energy emissions in the air.   
  
Kagato too sensed the new presence, "It seems that we must postpone this conversation until later my dear. I'm sorry for the interruption, but we have guests." Rei nodded, understanding that fact completely. He smirked, the prospect of a battle entering his mind. And with an aura that big, he thought, this might be fun.   
"Come then, let's go and greet them. It would not bide well to be rude."   
  
And with those words he turned and began to walk away, towards the exit from his lab. Rei watched him go for a moment, then turned towards a rack of energy rifles and grabbed one of the particularly menacing looking ones. "Just in case." She strapped the weapon across her shoulder and walked off, following Kagato from behind.   
  
{**********}  
  
The doors of Kagato's laboratory groaned to life, startling Houji from his deep thoughts. Three sets of eyes centered upon them as they slowly, ominously opened. Houji took a small step back in a clear state of shock, having clearly not expected the arrival to occur so soon. However Shishio was of a different mindset, smirking in response to the appearance of his soon-to-be rival.   
  
Yumi drew closer against her lord, the worrisome look returning to her smooth supple face. And as they watched, two figures emerged from behind the now wide-open doorway. One of them was a very tall man with pallid skin, and the other was a short tan female with soft raven hair and elvish ears. The young girl let her hazel eyes scan the entire area, noting all three of the intruders.   
  
But the man only set his unearthly eyes upon the couple sitting at the large rock, regarding them with an emotionless stare. He just watched them, saying nothing at all. Yumi felt uncomfortable under his feral gaze, and she shifted about restlessly in her seat. If this man was Kagato Akara, then he was as truly frightening as she had heard.   
  
Shishio regarded his opponent with a respectful stare right back into his own eyes, measuring him up. The hitokiri didn't even feel the least bit awkward under the gaze of the scientist. While this was going on, Houji noticed the massive weapon strapped over the girl's shoulder. He definitely took note of it, thinking that perhaps it was some sort of alien or futuristic rifle.   
  
After all, that wasn't uncommon in Hell. The cultures that Hell was compiled of were very diverse, from thousands of different worlds and times. Houji just hoped the girl stayed out of the fight, since a gun could prove to be a deciding factor in the battle in case she decided to step in. That would prove to be a disaster. Just in case he began to formulate a plan to get the weapon away from her.   
  
Finally there was a movement, and it came from Akara. The former space pirate bowed low, in a traditional respectful greeting. As he rose once more he spoke, his voice portraying no clear emotions. "Welcome to my palace. I would have created a much more grandiose and appropriate entrance had I known you were coming, forgive me. So my friends, what brings you to my humble abode?"   
  
Shishio nodded in return, his own manner of greeting. He did not wait to respond, but left any malice from his voice. After all, he truly had no grudge against this man, it was just something he had to do. "Thank you for the nice greeting. We are truly sorry to visit unnoticed, but I have pressing matters to attend to. I'm looking for a certain person, by the name of Kagato Akara, do you know him?"   
  
Makato grinned as he noticed the girl tense, but also found admiration for the man he knew to be Kagato Akara when he didn't even flinch. He respected the fearlessness of his opponent, and the accord that he conducted his business. This god was truly a gentleman, whatever the case.   
  
Kagato finally showed the first trace of emotion, smiling softly. "Yes, I know him quite well. Because I am Kagato Akara, you see. Exactly what sort of business do you have with me good sir?" Shishio felt Yumi press her body harder against him, shuddering. He wrapped his left arm about her shoulders, trying to reassure her.   
  
And the former shadow hitokiri responded with a hint of amusement within his voice, "Well then Akara Kagato…. I shall inform you of the fact that I am here under the orders of the ruler of Hell, Enma. In exchange for your soul, he promises to grant me the lands encompassing the first level of Hell." Kagato rather enjoyed the frank nature of the man.  
  
At least this man wasn't someone who would stab you in the back, but rather one who would stab for the heart. But he found a large amount of amusement within the man's words as well. "No offense… but… Good sir you must be joking. If you aren't, pray tell me why Enma is after my soul."   
  
"Very well, it is the least I can do. After all, the honor between warriors runs deep, and you at least deserve to know the truth. The demon king has grown angry at your blood lust for his minions, and has decided that you are too much of a threat to be allowed to freely traverse the realm. While I am not one of his servants, I find the offering that he gave me quite reasonable."  
  
Kagato took a step forward, and it seemed almost deafening. His eyes narrowed, almost as if he were glaring a hole through Yumi and Shishio. "And so you are here to take my head eh? Interesting… but," Kagato stopped to laugh, a cold nature raveled about it, "futile." Shishio had one thing to say, the god was also very arrogant.   
  
All the while Houji stood there transfixed, watching the verbal joust between his lord and the god. He was amazed by the fact that up until this point, both men had been so calm and not hostile. But now, things were changing in the conversation. Shishio took the insult in spade, and ever so slowly stood, leaving the trembling Yumi there to fend for herself.   
  
Shishio turned and regarded her with a solemn look, "Don't worry so my love, I assure you I will be fine." Kagato stood there waiting while he watched the man give words of reassurance to a woman who was supposedly his. He didn't mind, and it didn't take long anyway. Shishio quickly turned his attention back towards the scientist.   
  
"Your insults fall on deaf ears. I will not be driven back through silent threats. I will fight you, and in the end, I will claim your head." Kagato drew himself up, raising his arms to the side as if he was truly a god expecting reverence from his worshippers. His voice had taken a deep tone, a menacing tone, "Then you are a fool. I possess powers you cannot even begin to fathom my friend."   
  
There was a spark of interest in Shishio's eyes, but he made no movement. "And?" When the impact of his statement failed to hit Kagato lowered his arms, a vicious grin upon his face. He had to admit one thing, the man was fearless, an admirable quality. However it was also one that would get you killed.   
  
But there was also something else, something Kagato was noticing that he hadn't before. While he had taken note of the strange mummified form of the man earlier, he was just now noticing the familiarity of the aura. The man's presence had a hint of something he just couldn't quite put a finger on, but just a hint.   
  
Whatever the case, due to the fact the man before him was clearly covered in burns proved that he had been through a lot, and the sword at his belt and the two followers showed him to be most likely very powerful.   
  
But while the aura was impressive, the actual winning factor of a battle was if a man possessed any powers at all. He had no idea if the swordsman before him could harness his aura into energy, but he wasn't about to be caught by surprise. And so the best course was to ask where the man came from, in order to determine the answer to that question.   
  
"Hmmm… I see you are a man of great conviction. You must be powerful in your own right if you can stand before me so calmly. From what planet do you hail?" Shishio found the question rather odd, since it truly didn't matter in his point of view. But he would give this Kagato an answer anyway. "I am from Earth, the country of Japan to be exact."   
  
Kagato almost laughed, but held back despite himself. While it was completely ironic that a man from the very same planet that he died near was after his head, he knew that true Earthlings had no powers to speak of. Judging from their clothes, he assumed they were from a pre-industrial point in the planet's history. Or at least from an early stage of the first industrial revolution.   
  
But that mattered not, and Kagato voiced his opinions with a sneer set upon his face, "Then I was right, you truly are a fool. You, my friend, have no chance at all against me. Being the gentleman that I am, I will offer you a reprieve though. You can freely leave with your followers in tow, if you swear to never again show your face around here."   
  
Shishio found himself irked by the man's supposed generous offer. He replied with his own sneer of contempt, forcing as much bitterness into his voice as he possibly could, "I don't think so…" Kagato wasn't surprised by the answer, he expected it. But he sighed anyway, "I'm sorry to hear that. Oh well… At least you could tell me your name, so that I can engrave it upon your tombstone."   
  
Shishio grinned, and took another step forward, letting his right hand come to rest upon the hilt of his blade. "It's Shishio Makato. And anyway, if you really wish to show me this amazing power of yours, then by all means do so and don't waste time through useless chatter. Come on, let's just start." To punctuate his statement he drew the Mugenjin forth from it's sheathe, the dull light of Hell catching the blade and reflecting off of it.   
  
"Very well." He made a move forward, but was stopped by the small hand of Rei Karai upon his right shoulder. "Don't… I'm sure we could handle these people in a more civilized manner, such as containing them within force globes." Kagato turned his eyes upon Rei, and she could see the resignation for battle in them.  
  
"I'm sorry Rei, but this man wishes me to fight him. And I too wouldn't mind such an event. I haven't had a truly enjoyable duel in a long time." He casually brushed her grip from his shoulder and continued upon his way. He stopped in the middle of the ravine, waiting for Shishio to approach.   
  
Houji turned to his lord and master, sounding off encouragement in a rather loud way. "Lord Shishio, I know you can easily crush this man! Don't hold back my lord!" Shishio grinned wide, craning his neck to glance at Houji out of the corner of his eyes. "Don't worry Houji… I won't."   
  
He turned his attention back towards Kagato, who was just waiting there patiently. "One moment please…"   
Kagato shrugged, not minding at all. Shishio turned around and held out his left hand, thrusting his katana into the ground momentarily. Yumi stared into his now crimson eyes, and she took the hand. He pulled her into his arms, and just held her there.   
  
"Listen Yumi, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." With those words he drew her into a soft kiss, one final kiss for her silky lips if this fight was truly to be his last. It didn't last long though, and he drew away from her, smiling. She breathed deeply, the worry in her face lessening. "Just… be careful Lord Shishio."  
  
He chuckled softly, and nodded. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm always on my guard." With those words he turned, and grasped the pommel of his blade, drawing it from the ground. And that was the final time he cast his eyes upon Yumi, at least for the remainder of the battle. He let all the distractions slip from his mind, centering upon one thing, the defeat of the man before him.   
  
He strode confidently towards him, each step heavy though, his muscles tense with excitement. When he finally stood before Kagato he made no immediate move to attack, he just started sizing him up. Rei watched both men, her heart starting to pound in her chest. They were just both standing there, gazing into each other's eyes.   
  
The moment was tense, like a bowstring held too taut. Houji was in marvel of how evenly sized up both the fighters were, their confidence in their individual abilities very apparent. And during that time Yumi was clutching at the front of her kimono, her expression portraying nervousness. Yumi's heart stopped in her chest, the fighters making their first movement.   
  
[Anthrax – Hy Pro Glo (Hy Pro Luna Mix)]  
  
Kagato narrowly avoided the opening attack from Shishio, jumping back just in time to escape a horizontal slash. Akara's right eyebrow actually arched up a bit, clearly surprised by the speed of the first attack. But he would not allow the speed of his opponent to distract him. He took to the sky just as Shishio charged, pressing his attack.   
  
Kagato floated back, but didn't let himself stray too far from the ground. He levitated a few centimeters from it, just using his ability to gain the advantage in maneuverability. While he had expected to see surprise on the face of his opponent, that was not to be. Shishio had expected such a power, especially since Fenrir mentioned that some demons were witness to the skill.   
  
However, his servant and loved one were indeed in a state of shock after seeing it firsthand. Shishio clearly heard the loud statement that Houji exclaimed, "Huh?! How is he doing that?! Watch out Lord Shishio!"  
He didn't have to tell that to Shishio twice, he stopped in his tracks as Kagato switched from floating backwards to approaching him.   
  
And during that moment Kagato extended his right hand, small motes of emerald light just suddenly appearing around it. The balls coalesced within the palm, and his fingers wrapped over the amalgamation of all the other energy. It flattened and elongated, forming a brilliant emerald sword of pure energy. But he did not attack with it just then, but first decided to demonstrate its lethalness.   
  
He just thrust the blade straight into the ground, and it easily lanced halfway through, like a hot knife through butter. This time Shishio was actually surprised. He glanced quickly at the Mugenjin, wondering if his katana would even manage to block such a deadly weapon. He heard Yumi scream his name in fear over the low hum of the blade, but paid no heed to it.   
  
Kagato floated in place, watching Shishio as he nervously stood there, gripping his katana hard within his right hand. The scientist drew the sword from the ground, and pointed the blade right at Shishio, the tip a mere centimeter from penetrating his chest. He menacingly glared at his challenger, his voice sounding out, the evil nature of it just oozing from his lips, "I'll offer you one final chance to back out…"   
  
Shishio snorted in a clear display of distaste for his offer. Kagato sighed softly, seeing that as the non-verbal response to a very punctuated 'no.' He shook his head slightly, finding the foolishness in this mortal appalling, "So be it…" He drew his sword arm back, preparing to strike. Shishio noticed Yumi screaming louder, trying to catch his attention.   
  
Unbeknownst to him however, was the fact that she almost got involved with his match. She was running towards it, and if Houji hadn't stopped her and physically held her back she would have. Kagato's arm was let loose, and the sword flew forward, searing at the air in its wake. Shishio drew his katana into a defensive position, the two weapons colliding against each other.  
  
And remarkably, the Mugenjin held, a loud resounding sound emitting from the impact. Kagato drew back from Shishio, his eyes filled with astonishment. At first he didn't understand it, physical laws dictated that the blade should have cut through the steel like it was nothing.   
  
And then he remembered, they were dead and in Hell. But still, his blade's power was so intense and constrained that it should have been able to break through any weapon created from willpower.  
  
Kagato found himself amazed, thinking that maybe this Shishio's will was so great that his weapon could sustain its structure even in the face of such a deadly impact. And while initially surprised, he quickly vowed not to underestimate this man again, no matter what race he was of. Yumi breathed a sigh of relief, becoming still within Houji's arms.   
  
Shishio grinned in triumph, raising his sword high into the air. "Not so mighty now, are we?" Kagato took the taunt in stride though, his own grin appearing upon his face. He didn't respond though, finding words futile in this situation, and actions much louder. He decided not to fight this man verbally, but physically. And so Kagato moved in closer, pushing into a second attack.   
  
However, this time the more confident Shishio brought his sword onto Kagato's incoming blade. The two crashed into each other once more, an explosive cry in its wake. But this time they didn't pause in their attacks. Shishio took the initiative again, following through with a diagonal slash. Kagato pivoted his wrist and blocked it, pushing forcefully against the katana so their swords wouldn't be drawn into a lock.   
  
Shishio fell back slightly as Kagato pressed his own attack. Shishio noticed that he had a very casual nature about his swordsmanship as he let the energy blade fly out horizontally. The hitokiri ducked low underneath the blade, countering the attack with a thrust right towards Kagato's midsection. Kagato just let his body float to the right side, the blade missing him narrowly.   
  
Shishio flipped the blade so that its edge was aimed right at the man who was now alongside him. He twisted his body as he let his Mugenjin loose. Kagato drew his blade around, starting to twirl it about within his hand.   
  
The pace of the blade started slowly but quickly turned into a whirlwind, moving so fast it was a blur. In fact, using a bit of telepathic manipulation, he wasn't even holding it within his palm as it twirled.   
  
The Mugenjin slammed right into the torrent of pure energy, his arm thrown back fairly violently. If it had been an average man and not Shishio, the arm would have ripped from its socket. But it didn't matter, the act was only used to give Kagato a clear moment of attack. And he readily took that chance.   
  
He raised the energy blade high, once again having it firmly grasped in hand. He twirled the blade casually about and instantly brought it along into a vicious downward diagonal slash, using the momentum from the blade's temporary spin in order to put more force into it. But his victory in such an easy manner was not to be.   
  
Shishio instead barreled into his opponent, forcing him to the ground, the strike missing him by just a millimeter. In fact, there was a testament to that fact, some of the bandages upon his right shoulder were singed. Kagato landed hard upon the lifeless ground, Shishio on top of him, pressing the tip of his Mugenjin against the man's neck.   
  
The scientist did not stop to admire the resourcefulness of his opponent, but instead dissolved right into the ground below as if a ghost. Shishio was left there sitting upon his knees, the tip of his blade thrust into the ground instead of Kagato's neck. The power he just witnessed startled him even more than the sword. "What the hell was that?!"   
  
Houji stared at the battle, so filled with awe that he could not move an inch. His hands were upon Yumi's shoulders, making sure that she didn't move. I can't believe the extent of that man's powers, thought Houji, it is incredible… Yet, somehow Lord Shishio is still fighting him, and on even footing.   
  
He had complete confidence in his lord's abilities, but this god's vast array of power was incredible. He knew that this battle would not get any prettier as it progressed. And also, it wasn't going to end soon.   
  
Shishio's eyes darted all around, searching for his opponent. But to his dismay, he found nothing but lifeless charred landscape and countless piles of bone. Behind him however, was a different story. Kagato rose from the ground, having phased right through. He was poised to strike, and he extended his sword arm, pointing it right at the intended victim. The emerald blade melted away, reforming into a large ball of energy within its creator's palm.   
  
Shishio stood there motionless, his eyes centered upon the landscape behind him. Houji screamed out in warning to his lord, but it didn't matter. Shishio knew that Kagato was behind him, he had sensed it. But it was often a good strategy to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. Kagato let the ball go, and it flew from his hand so fast that it was a blur, leaving an after-image in its wake.   
  
However, the speed of the blast didn't matter. Shishio turned around at the last second, swinging his sword against the projectile. The katana impacted hard, and reflected the blast right at its creator. Kagato's eyes widened, and had he not a defense mechanism against that sort of thing, he most likely would have been the loser. The blast never even hit him, but split in midair, forming into four separate smaller emerald blasts and bending around his form.   
  
Shishio almost cursed, he was so close. But he had to admit he was enjoying himself for the first time in a long time, not even Himura was this fun. "What… was that?" Kagato smirked, placing his left hand upon his hip in a mocking gesture. "Oh, just a little shield I created. It directs all energy from me. Pretty impressive eh?"   
  
Shishio nodded, agreeing with the statement completely. But he knew that if he didn't get serious than this man would, and definitely could, destroy him. "Indeed… And you've just taught me something important. I can't afford to play with you anymore… Now I'm going to reveal some of my secrets…" An inquisitive look appeared upon the scientist's face.   
  
"Just what sort of secrets do you have?" Shishio smirked with arrogance, pointing the tip of his sword towards Kagato's chest in a threatening manner. "Attack me and see…" Kagato chuckled darkly, "Humph! Fine… Whatever you want, but it's your funeral." He casually reformed the energy blade, his face taking on a calm demeanor. There was a deadly look in his eyes as he floated towards his target.  
  
And he attacked, and this time he didn't hold anything back. Shishio almost couldn't believe the speed at first, finding it akin to Soujiro's. He barely managed to block the impressive blow from the pirate, and that wasn't the end. He fell underneath an onslaught of attacks, Kagato's sword rising and falling relentlessly. But Shishio was still able to deflect each and every attack, an act which proved to be impressive and worth admiration.   
  
Kagato knew that he couldn't keep it up forever though, and just kept pushing. His attacks became fiercer, jarring at Shishio's grip on the Mugenjin. If there was ever a time to reveal his first technique to his opponent, it was now. And that was exactly what Shishio did, grinding the edge of his sword across Kagato's own weapon during one of the vicious strikes. Kagato jumped back as fire exploded from the warrior's blade, clearly surprised by the unexplained phenomenon.   
  
Shishio decided it was time for payback. And so he attacked now, creating a relentless onslaught of his own against the pirate. With every movement of his sword the air filled with fire, creating a temporary barrier of heat around Kagato. The fire began to surround Kagato even though he managed to block every true blow of the sword, engulfing him within a contained space. Once the fire became thick around him he couldn't see, and for some reason the attacks stopped.   
  
He tensed, awaiting the next strike. But it never came, at least not from the front, where he was expecting. The Mugenjin emerged from the wall of fire, swung at his right side. The fiery katana sliced slightly into his side, cutting and burning away a bit of the cloth of his cape. Finally the fire dissipated, and Kagato stood face to face once more with Shishio, who had somehow returned to the front after his side attack.   
  
The hitokiri craned his neck up into the air, an arrogant nature set within his eyes. Kagato couldn't believe what he was seeing, noticing the seared fabric. "You… you could have won just then. Why didn't you completely connect with the attack?" Shishio laughed softly, "Why that's simple, I want to test every single one of my techniques upon you before I finish…"   
  
Kagato had to admit, he enjoyed the cruel style of his challenger. "That was impressive, what is it called?" Casual chat during the middle of battle was usually taboo, but when two master warriors such as they got together with varying styles, then it was to be expected. Shishio's grinned with pure adulation, proud of the fact that he had managed to confuse his opponent.   
  
Being in a good mood he decided to answer, it's not like Kagato was going to be around at a regular basis after all was said and done. "That was the first of my secret sword techniques… The Homuradama." Kagato was about to ask how he managed to create the fire simply from the friction between their swords, but finally noticed something about Shishio's sword.  
  
He saw that the edge was serrated, like a saw, and that it was coated with the fat and oil of it prior victims. Impressive, thought Kagato, this man is a very technical swordsman. I'm surprised, he has actually proven to be a challenge. "Interesting fact, your sword smells of human fat and oil my friend, just thought you'd like to know."   
  
He grinned in the triumphant discovery that he made. "Incredible, I see that you've managed to discover the secret of my sword technique. And only after one viewing no less, you're much better than the Battousai." The scientist would ask who that was, but found the point mute. Either way, he definitely didn't allow himself to get cocky, because he knew that would be a major weakness in such a battle, and probably prove to be a downfall.   
  
Kagato lowered to the ground, his feet landing with a loud dirty thud upon the ground. He wasn't about to be upstaged by an Earthling who was most likely no where near his age. If he still had leg muscles, they would be tense. And suddenly he just exploded, charging right towards Shishio, a hint of rage within his eyes. He brought his sword towards the man's chest in a wide arc, hopping to cut him down where he stood.   
  
Shishio waited until the last second, swinging his own blade against the oncoming weapon. Once again the opposing swords collided, and this time Shishio pushed against it, putting all of the muscles in both his lower and upper body into it. But Kagato would not be pushed away so easily, and he too placed his alien strength into the struggle. Their swords locked together, their arms straining.  
  
Shishio placed his left hand upon the bottom of the Mugenjin's pommel, starting to force the other blade to the right. But Kagato's sword unlocked from the katana during one point of the struggle, and he tried to bring it down upon his opponent's lower body. Shishio suddenly dropped his katana, catching it as it fell blade first towards the ground.   
  
The blade almost was wrenched from his hand once Kagato's sword slammed into it; his hand's newly formed grip not too steady yet on the pommel. Shishio was barely holding back the lethal energy sword, finding Kagato's raw strength overpowering. He had to do something, and so he became innovative. Shishio just lunged forward, raising his left elbow and letting it crash right into his adversary's neck hard.   
  
The former space pirate fell back, unconsciously clutching at his neck with his left hand. And he coughed up green blood, grimacing in pain. The attack had come unexpected, and he paid the price for it. Shishio sensed his opportunity, and so he seized it. He thrust the tip of the Mugenjin's blade into the ground and just began to pull the blade across it with all his strength.  
  
The friction caused the edge to burst into flame, the fire growing as the sword was dragged fast and hard through the ground. The katana emerged with extreme force from the indenture it caused in the ground as its wide arc finished its course. A long stream of fire was flung from the Mugenjin, heading for a straight collision course by the name of Akara.   
  
Kagato instinctually used his right arm to shield his face from the oncoming flames. The fire splashed right onto the arm, clinging on viciously and starting to burn at the fabric of his sleeve. He violently shook his arm, trying to douse the all-consuming gluttonous flame. During which time, Shishio used the distraction to his advantage.   
  
The pommel of his katana was suddenly slammed right into Kagato's forehead, hard enough to bruise the pale flesh. Kagato's eyes were closed tight, the blow disorienting him a bit, causing him to stumble backwards. He groaned in pain, and as he was doing that, Shishio took to the air, jumping high, straight towards his opponent.   
  
Houji's face brightened, watching as his lord started to fall down towards Kagato from high above. He believed that this was it; there couldn't be any way that the god could avoid the next attack. "You have him my lord!" He clenched his right hand hard, so hard that his fingernails would have bitten into the skin had he not been wearing gloves. Yumi gently bit her bottom lip, watching intently.   
  
Kagato's eyes opened just in time, noticing the oncoming attack. Shishio's blade was raised high above his head, and was just let loose, flying right towards Kagato's forehead. If he had not noticed at the last moment, he would have had a splitting headache. But he did see the oncoming katana, and just kicked off the ground, shooting straight into the air so fast that he was barely seen moving.   
  
The edge of the Mugenjin sank deep into the ground where Kagato used to be, and Houji cursed. The servant had hopped that his lord's ingenious series of distractions and disorienting blows would have finished the ordeal. But you know, too bad. The scientist was just floating in place, high above his opponent.   
  
[Anthrax – Fueled]  
  
He gazed down at Shishio with the first amount of rancor displayed during their entire tussle. His left index finger was drawn across his chin, and he transfixed his gaze upon the fingertip. And there were specks of green blood upon it, tainting his glove. He growled, his face taking upon a mask of pure fury. Kagato's teeth were ground together, his sharp canines clearly shown.   
  
"That's it… No more games… You're finished!!!" His sword dissipated, and he brought his right palm to aim straight at its target, Shishio. Thousands of tiny motes of emerald light appeared, flowing right into the open hand and forming a large ball of crackling energy. The ball hummed and 'popped,' and Kagato's fingers clamped tightly around it.  
  
Rei winced, her senses assailed by the pure unbridled power welling up inside Kagato Akara as he prepared his next assault. She was beyond the point of amazement, having only heard of such unfathomable reaches in energy levels. Although she never witnessed his power in the years of his space pirating, she had heard of the synthetic gems that fueled Kagato, and she knew that this could not be the natural power he once held at the academy.   
  
Her eyes widened as she came upon the startling realization. Somehow, the power of the gems seeped into his very soul over the long period of exposure. She did not know how, but there was no way to dispute the fact. The truth was revealed even as Shishio's followers watched helplessly. Kagato was a juggernaut, an unstoppable man wielding god-like power.   
  
Kagato snarled; his snake-like eyes filled with an unquenchable thirst, searching for Shishio's blood. Shishio turned his astonished eyes upward, drawing his katana forth from the ruined ground. He stood to his full height, feeling the reverberation of power that began to fill the air. The anarchist's body tensed, ready to explode.   
  
And Kagato gave voice to his threat, the ball growing larger within his tight grip. It surged with emerald power, and sparks fell from it, like so many emerald droplets falling and splashing harmlessly upon the ground like teardrops. But they were not harmless, upon contact the sparks burned right through before dissipating. This demonstrated the effectiveness of the massive amount of power being drawn forth.   
  
Houji and Yumi clearly felt the raw power, which caused deep vibrations to cascade across their bodies. Yumi shivered underneath the backlash of the gathering energy, and her heart was about ready to burst. Another good reason why death is comforting to the soul, she would have died of fright long before now if she wasn't already gone. The fact that she could do nothing irritated her to no extreme. But she would still try, if only Houji wasn't holding onto her so tight.   
  
Finally, the ball reached its growth limitation, but suddenly it divided. The process was akin to the birth of a new cell, but far more violent. The newly formed creation stretched and separated from its source, transmogrifying into a lethal blast speeding towards its target. And Shishio took no time to admire the phenomenon, but instead instantly broke into a sprint away from the oncoming energy.   
  
The surrounding area rocked with the introduction of a violent explosion, and had Shishio not have gotten far enough away he would have been thrown into the air from the force. "Don't think you can get away so easily!" The air filled with insane laughter as Kagato just let another blast emerge from the parental energy ball. And dust and fire permeated the ravine as the second blast impacted the ground with a force unseen by many.   
  
Yet Shishio still avoided the deadly attack, moving as swift as the wind. But there was a problem, he was losing space to maneuver in the narrow ravine, and Kagato kept firing. Blast after blast burned the ground to ashes. At this rate, Shishio would die in but a minute. Then an idea occurred. The former hitokiri darted towards the nearest wall, intent upon taking his worthy opponent down.   
  
He jumped right at the obstruction, bracing his lower body for impact. His feet slammed right into the wall, and the legs pushed off with such a force that it sent him somersaulting straight for Kagato. "Huh?!" Kagato stopped laughing. His enemy passed silently overhead, but that wasn't all that he did. The back of his sword hooked roughly upon the former scientist's neck.   
  
Kagato suppressed the tendency to clutch his neck due to being choked, because the blade would cut his fingers. Shishio grinned viciously, slamming his feet in a very harsh manner against Kagato's back. He braced his body as he spoke, "Get ready for a ride!" And this time it was he that began to laugh like a madman.   
  
Kagato's balance in the air had shifted when Shishio had grasped on with his katana, but once the feet impacted, it had been utterly destroyed. The quickness of the strike made him unable to reposition himself in midair, and he was forced to the ground face-first, with Shishio atop him. He groaned in pain as he got a face-full of dirt, a crater formed underneath his crash landing.   
  
Shishio wasn't finished, this was his turn in the spotlight of battle, and he was ready to make good use of it. "Now.. Now it's really over, for you!" He flipped the Mugenjin about within his hands, and just pulled back. There was a sickening sound of flesh being ripped apart as the blade sank deep in, green blood welling up upon the ground. Kagato screamed one final deathly cry from his torn throat before his head was lopped from his shoulders.   
  
Shishio grinned in triumph, "You see… it's over…" He sat atop the dead body, and reached over, grabbing the decapitated head by its silky gray hair. He stared into the dead eyes of his opponent and laughed, and just wouldn't stop. Rei screamed, she had just found her mentor, and now he was gone. Her hands quivered, and she began to reach for the rifle strap upon her shoulder.   
  
Meanwhile, there was a much different reaction from the other side of the field. Houji was ecstatic, beaming with pride for his lord's incredible accomplishment. And Yumi, she was relieved. She reached into her kimono and produced her silver pocket watch. Her delicate fingers pulled open the watch, and she smiled. "Just seven minutes and ten seconds…"   
  
But unfortunately, this wasn't over, not so easily. The body below Shishio suddenly burst into dark flames, outlined with green, but they didn't burn at the hitokiri. The fire just melted the carcass into nothingness, fading in an instant. And the eyes of the body-less head came alive, and it spoke amongst a grin. "You fool…"   
  
The same unearthly flame engulfed the head, and it dissipated right within Shishio's grasp. Shishio's eyes took on an utterly surprised nature as he turned around, feeling his opponent's aura from behind. And that was a mistake, because Kagato's energy blade sunk into Shishio's forehead. Yumi screamed as the sword went right through, a stream of blood running down Shishio's bandaged face.   
  
For some reason it didn't sink that far into his head, but Kagato did not care to wonder why. He had won, and such trivial things mattered not. Rei's face instantly brightened, knowing exactly what had happened. There was a smirk set upon Kagato's face, and he stared straight into his opponent's eyes as his consciousness faded.   
  
Shishio's eyes rolled back as he slipped into the depths of unconsciousness. His katana dropped from his hand, and cluttered noisily upon the ground. And Kagato spoke, forcing all the venom into his voice that he could manage. "Hmmm, I'm sure you're wondering, if you can still form coherent thoughts that is, how I managed to do that. Well I'll tell you, as a parting gift before I slice your head off, much like you tried to do to mine."   
  
The scientist continued his explanation as the crimson blood still rolled down the warrior's face. "You see, what you have been fighting up until this point was a mere shadow. And if your mind has not gone completely black yet, I'm sure that you are puzzled by the fact that you could physically touch and wound such a manifestation. That's the marvel of my shadow technique, the duplicate is a physical doppelganger that I can create by splitting my being into two."  
  
"The only difference between my shadow and I is that it completely dissipates in the event of a lethal attack. You see, I've been watching and gauging you this whole time, waiting for a precise moment to strike. You didn't seriously think I would delve into a dangerous situation without knowing the full power of my enemy, did you?!"   
  
He drew the blade from the wound, and pulled it back, preparing for his final strike. Yumi cringed, as time seemed to stop all around the area. "Die…" Kagato let loose his blade in one single instantaneous act, aiming for Shishio's neck. In that same instant, Shishio's eyes swiveled back into view, and he grinned, a wide psychotic grin. He fell back just in time to avoid the blow that would have undoubtedly severed his head from his body.  
  
His legs curled back, and he just thrust them straight at Kagato's chest. The force of the kick threw the scientist back, landing flat upon his ass. Shishio flipped onto his feet gracefully, and rose to his full height once again. He momentarily dipped down to grab the Mugenjin from the ground, but did not miss a beat in that act. During that time Yumi joyously screamed her lover's name, happy to see him okay.   
  
Kagato stared with disbelieving eyes, not understanding how a man could weather such a blow and come back in time to defend himself. "But… but how?!" The look on Shishio's face was priceless, the sneer set upon his lips just taunting his opponent. "I have tricks of my own…" With those words he reached up, and ripped the bandages from his forehead.   
  
There was a glint of metal, and the formerly concealed head-guard was revealed finally. True enough there were slight wounds above and below the guard, but just superficial and skin-deep ones. The guard itself was almost cleaved in two though, the metal having caved in by the sheer power of the blow. Kagato couldn't believe it, a mere piece of metal had stopped his sword mid-strike.   
  
"This headband has saved me on more than one occasion now… And now that you've used your shadow, the real fun will begin." Kagato rose, growling underneath his breath. "I'll remember that… Let's continue…" The scientist stood there as a brief chill wind swept through the valley and into the ravine, his cape flourishing about him. "Yes, let's…" And Shishio charged.   
  
Kagato barely avoided the oncoming sword-sweep, jumping straight up, his legs almost becoming cut down from under him. But they didn't, and he landed right upon the Mugenjin, just standing there to taunt Shishio. They grinned at each other for a brief second, before Shishio jerked his sword. Kagato jumped off of the weapon, landing far away from his enemy.   
  
And Makoto once again charged his opponent, portraying the strategy of a ruthless bum rush. This time Kagato blocked Shishio's katana, their swords locking together. Shishio snickered as Akara fell for his trap; hook, line, and sinker. The former assassin reached out with his right hand, open palm pressing against Kagato's chest.   
  
Kagato's nostrils filled with something he did not recognize… But the smell reminded him of a volatile explosive powder he had once encountered on a backwater planet. His eyes widened as Shishio unlocked his sword, striking the tip of it against his glove so fast that he didn't even have time to stop him. Shishio's fist clenched tightly upon the moment of the explosion, a large ragged hole being blown right through Kagato's chest.   
  
Kagato lurched forward, clutching at his gut in a reflexive motion. But he was silent… However, Shishio was not so under-spoken. "That was my second secret technique… The Guren-Kaina… Heh, I hope you enjoyed it." But then Kagato rose to his full height, a huge gaping hole upon the fabric consisting of his garments.   
  
"Your techniques are interesting my dear friend… The only problem is, not only do I not feel them.. But they don't effect me at all" There was nothing but the back of Kagato's clothes shown within the hole. Shishio was surprised more than ever, seeing his opponent as more of a ghost than a man now. The ragged gap started to mend, and the cloth melded back in on itself.  
  
Kagato's ornate garments were as good as new. Shishio's gaze narrowed. "How… did you do that?" The scientist found some amusement within the newfound dumbstruck nature of his enemy. He laughed softly before responding. "I am more energy than I am man now… Attacking my body is useless… I'll tell you what, being the generous fighter that I am, I'll provide information on how to kill me. In order to actually accomplish that goal, you have to go for my head."  
  
"Thanks for the information, I'll be sure to remember that!" Shishio verbally spat back in the man's face, growling low. "How rude… And I go out of my way to help you out… Oh well." He drew away from Shishio, readying himself for another attack. His sword was raised, and he took one menacing step forward, the now-weak ground crumbling beneath his feet.   
  
But he paused, noticing something odd… "Wait.. the air… do you feel that?" Shishio stopped as well, a chill wind striking against his back. He stared at Kagato oddly, wondering if the god was trying to trick him. But sure enough, his burns were tingling, as if it was going to rain. But that was a physical impossibility.   
  
Kagato thought the same thing, knowing that Hell didn't have the necessary ecosystem in order to produce rain. The sound of thunder startled them, it seemed distant, but still, there it was, clear as day. All around them it became dimmer, and they looked up. Astonishment forced it's way onto both their eyes. For above them, covering The Upper Jaw of Hell's Mouth, were dark clouds.   
  
The clouds crackled with lightning. And one stray bolt emerged from them, striking the ground just a few meters away from the fighters. Rei jumped back from where she was standing, the bolt having landed closer to her. She too was amazed, as were both of Shishio's followers. Yumi was very vocal in the matter, "What is this?"   
  
Thunder punctuated the former lighting strike, and the air became even colder. And suddenly, it began to rain. The rain poured down in such a furious manner that only a thunderstorm could produce. Shishio raised his left hand, staring straight at it as it became soaked. But it wasn't water that started to coat his bandages… It was…   
  
"Blood!!!" Rei screamed, an utterly disgusted look upon her face. Sure enough, blood began to fall from the sky as raindrops. Everyone else was a bit calmer, but just as skeptical as before. Shishio and Kagato took the brunt of the ominous shower. Both fighters were quickly covered from head to toe with rich crimson, the blood draining down their erect forms.   
  
This was indeed a rare phenomenon. Kagato wasn't as emotional as his student, and rather wished to study this event rather than freak out. But one of them knew what it was… "My lord, this the Rain of Blood!" Houji's voice sounded out over the clamorous sound of thunder that filled the sky. Shishio knew that his servant was always right, and besides, arguing with him at this point and time would be moot since it really was raining blood.   
  
He just wanted to milk Houji for information at this point. "What does this unholy rain pertain to?" Kagato stood there in silence, not making a move against his opponent. He wanted to learn about this even just as much as Shishio. Houji spoke up once again, "I've heard about this once before! They say that when two skilled fighters of the same caliber come together to battle then the skies fill with blood!"   
  
He screamed over the thunder, trying to make sure that his lord clearly heard him. Kagato placed his index finger and thumb upon his chin, and inquisitive nature about him. "Fascinating… I would enjoy studying this, but I guess I'll have to postpone that… After all, we do have a battle to finish… rain or not." Shishio nodded, "Yes."  
  
Kagato grinned as he took another step forward, ignoring the rain now. His boot landed noisily in a deep puddle of blood. And his energy sword popped and sizzled as blood kept pouring down upon it. Shishio just stood there awaiting his enemy's next attack. The rain seemed to alter the mood of the battle, the environment becoming less hospitable, as if it wasn't already, due to the wetness.   
  
But it didn't matter to Shishio. He wasn't like Kagato's friend, who was still freaking out, but had found shelter underneath the entrance. Blood was a common day occurrence back in the days of the Meiji Revolution, and he had not forgotten what it was like to live under its presence constantly. And Kagato wasn't a stranger to it either, so he just trudged forward steadily.   
  
But he stopped, for some unknown reason. However, that reason was soon revealed via his voice. "I have an idea… How about we settle this quickly with one final charge?" Shishio grinned, liking his idea. "That's fine with me," he said. Kagato raised his sword and nodded, one final sign of respect for a worthy opponent before the end.   
  
Shishio laughed softly and did the same. "That's all well and good my friend, but you'll be the one to lose." Kagato laughed as well. "You're overly confident, but it is an admirable quality." Shishio waved his free hand as if dismissing the comment. "But you know, they say that confidence is well-rewarded. After all, it isn't bragging if you can get the job done."   
  
Kagato had to admit, he would actually miss such a worthy opponent once it was all said and done. But that didn't matter, he lived for the moment. "True, but we shall see…" Shishio smiled slightly, placing his grip tighter about the Mugenjin. "One final attack… Let's finish it." Kagato nodded in response, and added his left hand to his energy sword's pommel.   
  
Shishio followed suite, wanting to add the extra power to his attack. The rain began to fall down stronger, the air chilling everyone around to the bone. The fighters tensed, waiting for the precise moment of attack. Rei sneezed. The two charged towards each other, determination sown within each of their eyes. They met in the very middle of the ravine, where their battle first started.   
  
The swords flashed, soaring at each opposite man with such a force and speed that the air distorted in the wake, accompanied by a high pitch whistle. There was a clash of steel against energy, and the two fighters passed each other by. And it was all over. They both stopped, craning their necks to stare at each other from the corners of their respective eyes.   
  
Shishio grinned, "Nice…" He grimaced in pain as his upper body fell loose. Shishio's dismembered upper body hit the ground with a sickening thud, blood seeping from the wound, organs falling loose. The strike had not sealed together due to the cold rain soaking both their bodies. Shishio's lower body fell forward as well, landing right below his upper body.   
  
Yumi screamed as her love was struck down before her very eyes, "Nooooooooooooooooo!!!" Houji accompanied the scream with his own scream of utter fear, "Lord Shishio!!!" He fell to his knees, drawing Yumi down with him since he was still holding her. Blood splashed about their knees, and Yumi was sobbing. Houji was in a state of disbelief, "No… It can't be… Lord Shishio can't lose…"   
  
Rei was much the opposite. She cheered in light of the victory of her former mentor, "Yay! Three cheers for Kagato Akara!" Except her celebration was cut short. Kagato's pince-nez split in half, and fell into a giant puddle of blood below him. The pallid flesh of his face split open from the right side of his nose to the back of his neck, emerald blood spluttering from the open jagged wound.   
  
It poured down the side of his face freely, a stark contrast to the red blood falling from the sky. His energy sword dissipated in that moment, and he clutched roughly at his head with both hands, beginning to scream in pure agony. The sound was alien to Rei, more like the wounded howl of a wolf than a man. And the wound only grew worse.   
  
The opening begin to emit a pale white light, and the wound began to melt away as if by black hellfire. Kagato's screams worsened, and he clutched rougher at his face, his fingers digging into the flesh of his forehead. He was trying to concentrate amidst the haze of pure pain assaulting his senses. Kagato fell to his knees, throwing his upper body forward and banging his head hard against the wet ground.   
  
He let his face stay there for a minute or two, now silent. Rei stared, afraid that he had drowned within the blood, but remembered that he didn't have lungs anymore. And when he finally drew his face from the ground, it was completely covered with a thick coat of dripping crimson blood. The wound was magically sealing together, as if it was never there.   
  
The green blood still hanging upon his face seeped back into the wound just as it closed. And Kagato breathed a sigh of relief. The effort seemed to have exhausted him, and he was breathing ragged. It didn't matter that he didn't have to breathe anymore, it was just a reflex action. But still, it proved the point that the regeneration took a lot out of him.   
  
Kagato's right arm was sunk nearly halfway through the wet dirt, and he withdrew it, clutching hard at a pile of it. He let the bloodstained dirt drop from his hand, and he sighed. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he stood. But he did not turn around, he just stared at Rei and smiled. Rei smiled back. "That was interesting, another one of your powers eh?"   
  
Kagato's heart would have stopped if he still had one. He turned around, surprise shinning in his face. And there stood Makoto Shishio, fully healed from the last injury. Sometime during Kagato's bout with his injury, Shishio's two halves of his body had rejoined flawlessly, blood seeping back in and internal organs melding back together. Yumi looked up from her crying fit.  
  
"My love! You… you…" Houji stood slowly, awe shown clearly within his eyes. "My lord… But… how?"  
  
Shishio smiled softly at Yumi's concern for his safety. "I'm fine my love. This man has made a grave error in his approach during battle." Kagato was stunned.   
  
"Wha…? Wait," Kagato paused, the answer coming to mind before having to receive it from his opponent, " I see. So the rumors are true. Mortal souls can only be killed with weapons created by willpower." Shishio nodded, "That is correct. I had feared that your blade was created from willpower up until this point, but you've just proven otherwise. I'm just surprised at the powers you just displayed, that strike would easily incapacitate any other mortal soul."   
  
Kagato laughed softly, understanding exactly what the hitokiri spoke of. "My regeneration powers make it impossible for my soul to be captured unless you completely destroy this…" He tapped his right temple with his index finger in an effort to physically display his point. Shishio smirked, not minding at all. "I don't care. I am enjoying myself here actually, I'll just have to try harder to finish you…"   
  
"And I have to look for alternative means of weaponry. Do you mind waiting while I create a sword suitable for myself?" Shishio had to admit, the man clearly knew the rules of the codes of honor. "Go ahead. It would be dishonorable for me to strike down a worthy opponent when he is unarmed." Kagato smiled in return to the generosity.   
  
"Thank you." He turned his eyes down upon his now extended right hand, palm open. The scientist turned all his thoughts towards the basic design of a weapon that would best match the current situation. In an instant he had it. And he bent his will towards its creation. Within Kagato's right hand appeared an intricate sword, beautifully crafted.   
  
The pommel was grafted from what looked like red leather, and would be a very comfortable grip in anyone's hand. And the hilt was just amazing, it was of a Jurian design. The hilt was of an intricate carving of a snake intertwining in upon itself cast in Jurian wood, the tail of the creature held within it's open mouth in order to create a sort of Mobius Strip, an infinite.   
  
But it was the blade that caught the attention the most. Upon the edge of the sword, which was crafted one-sided like a katana, there were many variations in design. The edge split at one moment and then flowed back into itself the next. It shimmered with an unknown light even as blood began to pour upon its curves.   
  
However, there was one final aspect.  
  
The blade was glowing, a deep emerald aura held about it. Rei gawked, and cried out in surprise. "Hielzen Super! It… It's… It's glowing… But that's impossible! That metal only resonates when in conjunction with those of Jurian blood!" Not only the fact that Kagato was holding a sword crafted from the greatest variation of her home world's metal surprised her, but also the fact it was emanating light.   
  
For what she said was true. But Kagato just confirmed something for her in that moment. "Don't you remember Rei? The gems…" She took a step back in clear awe. "So… The power of the gems really did seep into your soul. Then that… proves that the power of the gems is the same power as…" Kagato finished her sentence. "As the power of the Jurai."   
  
She couldn't believe this discovery, it was incredible. But Shishio wasn't about to let them both dwell within their scientific fancies. And so he interrupted, "You have an incredible sword now. I salute your level of craftsmanship." Kagato immediately turned his attention back towards him. He grinned in reply, "Indeed. This is the weapon that will seal your fate."   
  
Shishio only smirked in the face of the threat. "Mighty words, let's see if you can back them up." He drew his Mugenjin back into an offensive position, waiting for the next attack. "I'm sure I can." Kagato sneered at his opponent, trying to jostle his confidence just a bit. But it didn't have an effect. "Indeed… But I'm wondering… Can your new sword stand up against my legendary blade…? The Mugenjin, this katana was forged by Shakku Arai, just for me."   
  
Kagato laughed softly, "It'll cut your sword down like grass." Shishio basked in the level of competition this man presented, even in words. "Well we'll just have to test that theory." Shishio gripped tighter upon the pommel of his katana, jousting with words until the next attack takes place. "Either way… We'll see how good you stand up against my final secret sword technique…"  
  
Kagato laughed in response to his statement, "Only one more? One more futile attack for me to weather, and one more step away from your doom." Shishio remained confident, even in the face of Kagato's taunts. "Once again I say, we shall see…" Rei gave one final comment from her end of the sidelines before they started again, "Be careful Kagato!"   
  
Kagato closed his eyes and smirked lightly, finding her advice useless. But he wasn't about to tell her that. "Don't worry Rei. I won't let him beat me." Houji stood in awe of the display of swordsmanship and raw power both men have displayed up to this point. And also, he was eager to see the final attack in its completion. "Lord Shishio is going to use the Kagezuchi… He'll win for sure!"   
  
Yumi smiled softly and nodded in return to Houji's statement. "Yes, There is no way that this man can avoid or sustain himself through Shishio's final secret sword." Now she felt better, after seeing her lord return from the edge of oblivion and then announce that he was going to use his most powerful attack. But what she saw next caused her heart to once again drop.   
  
She looked down at the watch. Fifteen minutes and seventeen seconds had gone by unnoticed. Yumi didn't understand how so much time could have elapsed during this fight, perhaps their tarrying to witness the rain is why so much was lost. She gasped in pure fright, turning instantly to face Houji. "Houji! Lord Shishio has to win soon!" He was so into the fight that he didn't realize the reason at first. "Why…?"  
  
She screamed the answer right into his face. He cringed with fear, remembering what had happened the last time a fight had been allowed to go on for an extended period of time. "Fifteen minutes have already passed in the fight! We can't let it go on for much longer!"   
  
Shishio stood there, poised for his next vicious attack, unaware of the looming restriction.   
  
{**********}  
  
[Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring CD – A Journey in the Dark]  
  
Only a raspy shallow breathing accompanied the darkness. Everything was submerged within its folds, the twilight that permeated all things. Hell was definitely not a cheerful place, but not everywhere had the same sense of pure unconquerable impending doom. But this place, this place was different.   
  
It was the very altar of dark maliciousness, of pure and unadulterated rancor for life and those who once lived it. This was the inner chamber of Enma's castle, Innerus Valerune, which resided upon the ninth and final 'level' of Hell. And all who treaded within this chamber must forfeit their existence or their free will.  
That was the nature of the beast.   
  
There was a single dim light that appeared amongst the darkness. It did not reveal all, but enough that you would not want to see more. The walls were crafted of men, organs ripped open and bloodied bodies nude, organically fused with each other mortal next to them. When the light appeared they awoke, groaning for company, for more to join their torture.   
  
The floor was grafted of bone and dried flesh, with pools of boiling blood placed in odd places. And from those pools stemmed great pulsing veins, flowing into a dark throne, whereupon sat a dark lord. But the light did not penetrate that far, and none of that master was seen. A man entered the scene, holding the lamp that was the originator of the light.   
  
And that man was Fenrir Amino, the Demon Blade, who had already given his loyalty to Enma. He bowed respectfully, getting upon his right knee and left hand, right arm held across his chest. "My lord… The rains have begun… The two warriors quell, both straining to keep their souls." And from the darkness emerged a voice, ominous and endearing, evil and yet alluring all at the same time. "This I already know… My eyes have been turned upon them for a long time."  
  
Fenrir breathed deeply, the pungent air of the inner chamber filling his lungs. "My lord, whom do you wish to win in this contest of men? Would you have Makoto Shishio victorious, and for him to personally deliver Akara's soul to you? Or would you have Kagato to be the winner? I'm sure with a little coaxing he'd make a fine servant in your army."   
  
Enma laughed, a sound that penetrated through the very soul of his minion, and felt like an icy hand upon his heart. "My preference? I would have neither of them win. They are both powerful, and could prove to be thorns in my side if not properly kept in check. With any luck, they'll destroy each other, and then I can personally claim their souls. Such delights I would have in torturing them. In fact, they'd make a good addition to my fine collection of trophies."   
  
A dark hand reached from the shadows, a metallic gauntlet shaped into the image of sharp ebon talons curling and pointing towards the walls. In response, the souls screamed with pain, as if he had physically done harm to them. "But… If one of them were to win, I would have it be this Shishio… He is easy to manipulate. His type only wants power, that fact is clear. I'm sure I could stave his hunger with a bit of bread crumb droppings."  
  
"Well then, my lord… Let us only hope for the best." Fenrir grinned slightly, personally finding the image of that arrogant Shishio pinned to Enma's wall to be hilarious. Even the image of Shishio as a pet scurrying about for scraps from its master seemed amusing. "Yes… the best…" Enma started to laugh, and just didn't stop.  
  
His laughter was heard all the way to Darnas Irio, where mortals trembled underneath its presence.   
  
{**********}  
  
Notes: Ladies and gentleman, I would like to thank you for enduring such a long piece of fiction and making it all the way to the end of this journey. More chapters shall shortly be on their way, at least as quick as it takes to write them amongst my personal life. The only problem that *I* perceived during my writing process was the fact that fight scenes were hard to write in a very descriptive format and keep interesting.   
  
I choreographed a lot of fight scenes that I had intended to use for this chapter, but in the end I had to forego that idea for ideas that are easier to write. I mean, if you know swordsmanship you can create very dramatic and action-packed scenes, but translating that to paper is really hard. Some of the more intricate and complex maneuvers are hard to describe, and I didn't want to delve into the monotony that is DBZ fight scenes.   
  
Either way, of all the fight scenes you can create, sword fighting is the hardest. I mean just look at some of Tolkien's work; he had to forego descriptions of his greatest fights. Slashes and thrusts over and over again can get boring, so I tried to add variety. I'm just really hoping that you actually enjoyed the Shishio/Kagato fight scene. It took me a bit of time to get through it, the dreaded writer's block briefly hitting me for about two days halfway through.   
  
I really hope I get some readers and some people who appreciate this large body of work. After all, I wouldn't want to see that my hours upon hours a day just writing were wasted. I stayed up until four or five AM almost every night just working on this, frantically trying to get it done. And oh, for those of you who don't know about Makoto Shishio, but want to get to know him, you should check out the site called Kuni Tori. I don't have the address on me right now, so I'll see if I can attach it to the next chapter's foreword. One more thing; for those of you who want to know, the demons called Kagato a 'god' because of the fact that his name in kanji means 'I am a God-like being.' Interesting eh?  
  
Thank you.  
  
{**********}  
  
Join us next time for another dark venture into the depths of Hell…  
  
Second Sin: The War of the Gods  
  
{**********}  
  
Send any comments or criticisms to my email address at XellosMetallium@hotmail.com. I also wouldn't mind any MST's of this fic (Jeez… I'd be amazed if someone can actually finish a MST of this mammoth piece), because I find them hilarious. But flames will be promptly ignored and put out with a fire extinguisher. Ja ne! ^.^ 


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